Make the Summer Succotash
Shelling a fava bean is very much like shelling a pea pod. You just tug on little string and pull it down and the pod opens up easily. Inside there are four to five plump creamy green-colored beans. It really doesn’t take long to shell them from their pods.
Now I have to admit, for this recipe, I did not remove the second skin. This is up to you. To soften the skin a bit, I sautéd them for a few minutes with the onion and garlic and added a generous splash of veggie stock and simmered on low for 7 minutes. Then I added the rest of the ingredients. They are toothsome, but I don’t mind this.
The onions, garlic, fava beans, peppers and corn were sauteed until tender. Once seasoned, toss in a little chopped cilantro and squeeze of citrus right before serving.
Prepare the Halibut (or Seabass, Black cod, salmon or  Tofu)
Make the cornmeal coating!
The coating for the fish  is a mix of flour, coriander, salt and pepper and a little corn meal for a good crunchy texture.
For our dinner, I chose seabass for myself, and halibut for Brian. Brian is not a fan of super oily fishes like sea bass, and the halibut was a great substitution for him. He did, however eventually venture over to my plate and try the sea bass, and to my surprise, liked it too.
I must say the Tofu is really delicious too! See recipe notes.
In a hot skillet, with a mix of canola oil and olive oil, brown the coated fish on all sides. If they are a particularly thick cut like these, place in a warm oven for a few minutes until your desired doneness.
Plate the seared halibut over the warm succotash. Top with with lime and a few cilantro sprigs.
More Halibut recipes you may enjoy!
Cornmeal Crusted Halibut with Summer Succotash
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Category: Dinner, easy dinner, fish, Main, one pan meal, weeknight dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Dairy-Free, fiber, high protein, Low-Carb, Pescatarian
Description
A delicious recipe for Cornmeal and Coriander Crusted Fish ( halibut, sea bass, black cod OR Tofu ) served over a fresh Summer Succotash.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornmeal
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 12-16 ounces halibut filets, patted dry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups zucchini, sliced into thin half moons
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon jalapeño, finely diced (optional) add more to taste.
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups corn (2 fresh ears, shucked or use frozen)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- pat of butter, to finish, optional but good.
- squeeze of lime, to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300F
- Prep Halibut. Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, and spices together in a wide, shallow bowl, large enough to dredge the fish.
- Sear the halibut. Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Lightly dredge the fish with the cornmeal mixture on both sides, then place in the hot oiled skillet and sear each side until golden brown, lowering the heat to medium if needed. Place in a warm oven while you make the succotash.
- Succotash. Wipe out the pan and heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add garlic, zucchini, and peppers, and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add fresh corn, cumin, coriander, and oregano, and season with salt and pepper, saute 2-3 mintues. Add broth, and simmer until reduced. For extra richness, stir in a dollop of butter. Squeeze with little lime juice to taste and fold in the cilantro.
- Season. Taste and adjust salt and lime. Turn heat off.
- Serve. Divide the succotash among bowls and place the fish over top. Garnish with fresh lime and cilantro
Notes
Leftovers can be stored separately in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Substitute with other firm white fish, such as wild cod, sea bass, etc.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ½ of the recipe
- Calories: 583
- Sugar: 23.2 g
- Sodium: 1927.6 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 68.6 g
- Fiber: 13.2 g
- Protein: 45.1 g
- Cholesterol: 84.5 mg
It’s 90+ degrees here and didn’t want to heat my oven so I made this on the grill. I seared the fish in a cast iron skillet and then moved it to the cooler side of the grill to finish cooking while I made the succotash. This succotash is very different from the southern version I make with corn, lima beans, tomatoes and okra but I really loved these flavors and the fava beans. I used Goya frozen fava beans and they were really fresh and delicious… Thank you!!
I am envious of the warmth Pam! Glad you enjoyed this. Your review is so helpful, per usual.
One more thing that I learned about frozen fava beans is that you still need to remove the outer skin. I put them in a bowl of cold water and after a few minutes it was easy to slide them out of their skin. Can’t wait to try more of your fava recipes now that I can do this so quickly!!
Perfect. Thanks Pam- I will look for them frozen!
Yum! We took the suggestion to add bacon to the succotash and it was great! It probably would have been delicious regardless, but the bacon added a little something. And the plate looked beautiful!
Great to hear Paula! Love it!
Is the halibut supposed to be skinless? Making now and can’t help but think it would help with dredging?
Yes, better without, but if you want to leave the skin is on, you could just make the skin crispy ( not dredged). Just season skin side with salt and pepper and sear in olive oil until crispy. Dredge the other side. 🙂
I really want to try this but not a cilantro and cumin fan (taste like soap). Can you suggest substrates? Or should I just leave them out?
Hi Adam, I might double the coriander and leave out the cumin. You could add some fresh parsley and basil in place of the cilantro.
You can also eat the shells; ala Moroccan style; stew them with moroccan spices …
I did not do the succotash – just the fish – and it was AMAZING! Thanks for such a delish recipe!!
So glad you liked it!!!
Love this recipe! Fresh favas are great!
Hi, I know this is an old post, but do you know where you got your bowls? I’ve been looking for bowls like that and can’t find them anywhere.
Ikea 🙂
whoa, this was delicious. I had just picked up a huge bag of favas at the farmer’s market…..and this is just what my mouth wanted. note: you don’t say when to add the spices to the succotash. I added to the just soft onions. and cooked it all a bit less than you say. served with a mint/coriander/basil/cucumber/melon salad. perfect for a late july dinner. I will be looking at more of your recipes.
Just wanted to say – I look at dozens of food blogs a day and your photos have to be some of the best I’ve ever seen. Really well done. This recipe sounds delicious too!
Thank you. 🙂
This sounds delicious and your pictures are gorgeous. One to try for sure. x