Instructions: STUFFED-FISH DISH IS MOIST, MILD, BY MARK BITTMAN, New York Times

The skin of the swordfish is tough as leather, and no amount of cooking or clever technique will turn it into anything delicate or crisp or even edible, for that matter.

But it can be useful, as I discovered when I was experimenting with a stuffed-fish dish. If you take a thick steak and cut it in half horizontally right down to the skin, you end up with two attached flaps of fish. Then you can spread whatever you like on the inside, close the fish, stick a toothpick through it to hold it closed, and grill or broil.

The stuffing can be almost anything, as long as it has a pasty consistency.

Otherwise, it will leak. Among the many possibilities are pesto or a puree of other herbs, a paste of sun-dried tomatoes, a sausage-like mixture or tapenade.

I like a strong mixture of anchovies, garlic, parsley, lemon and capers, which can serve as a stuffing and a table sauce. When cooked, the mixture keeps the fish moist and becomes somewhat milder. Whats served at the table retains all its rather considerable power.

Like any paste with a good deal of herbs, it needs some liquid to make it smooth. Traditionally, that is olive oil. But although a little olive oil adds flavor to the mix, too much makes it overly rich. The easiest way to avoid this is to wash the parsley and leave it wet. The water clinging to its leaves is just about the right amount. I stir the capers in, whole, at the last minute, to retain their pop and vary the texture of the sauce.

Because the sauce is so moist, swordfish treated this way will take a little longer to grill than usual. Instead of cooking a 1 1/2 inch-thick steak - about the right size for this procedure - for 8 to 10 minutes, Id estimate 12 to 14.

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