Roasted Halibut with Spicy
Black Bean Cakes

Created by The Culinary Institute of America as an industry service for The Northarvest Growers Association.

In this Latin-influenced dish, the silky richness of the halibut is offset by the vibrantly flavorful black bean cakes. The spiciness of the jalapenos plays nicely with the richness of the sweet potato in these bean cakes to make this a great side for the halibut. A squeeze of lime at the end is a great flavor bridge that brings it all together.

Ingredients Amount
Bean Cakes
Olive oil ¼ cup
White onion, peeled and diced 1 each
Garlic cloves, crushed and chopped 2 Tbls.
Jalapeno peppers, stemmed and minced ¼ cup
Cumin, ground and toasted 2 tea.
Black beans, cooked 4 cups
Kosher salt 1 tea.
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
Sweet potato, peeled and grated 2 cups
Egg, lightly beaten 2 each
Bread crumbs, toasted, plus extra for coating finished cakes ¾ cup
 
Halibut
Halibut fillet, skinned and portioned into 4 ounce pieces 2 lbs.
Olive oil ¼ cup
Salt and pepper
Fennel seed toasted and ground 1 T.
Limes, fresh and cut into ¼ wedges 1 each

Method

  1. Bean Cakes: Heat 2 T. olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook onions until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in garlic, jalapenos, and toasted cumin; cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

  2. Transfer contents of skillet to a large bowl. Stir in 2 cups cooked black beans and mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in sweet potatoes, eggs, 1 cup of the cooked black beans, and bread crumbs. Mix again carefully just to combine and chill for 30 minutes.

  3. Divide into 16 small balls and flatten into patties with straight sides. Lightly grease baking sheet with 2 T. olive oil. Dip into bread crumbs to coat and place on oiled sheet pan; chill for 20 minutes.

  4. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place bean cakes in the oven and roast for 10 minutes, or until the cakes start to lightly brown.

  5. Meanwhile, pat the halibut fillets dry with paper towels. Season the halibut portions generously with salt, pepper, and the toasted fennel seed. Heat the ¼ cup olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof frying pan until hot but not smoking. Slip the halibut pieces skin side up into the pan and cook until the bottom side has is golden and the edges of the fish start to look opaque, about 3 minutes. Flip the fish fillets over and place in the 450 degree oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the fillets are just opaque in the center.

  6. Warm the remaining 1 cup of black beans and season with salt and pepper. Serve the fish with warm roasted black bean cakes, a small spoonful of black beans, and the fresh lime wedges.

Yield: 8 portions