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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: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Northwest
Description
A delicious recipe for Cornmeal and Coriander Crusted Fish ( halibut, sea bass, black cod OR Tofu ) served over a fresh Summer Succotash.
Ingredients
- 2 x 6 ounce Halibut Filets ( or seabass, black cod, or tofu filets)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon, plus extra pinch of salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika – optional
Summer Succotash:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup onions- diced
- 10–12 fava bean pods, shelled (or sub 1 cup shelled edamame, or chopped okra)
- 1 poblano, pasilla or bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves- minced
- ½ a jalapeno- finely diced (optional)
- 2 ears of corn, shucked, kernels cut off
- ½ cup chicken broth or stock
- 1 lime
- 1–2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 2 large pinches kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne, or chipotle powder– optional
- 2 tablespoons or more, fresh cilantro
Optional additions- bacon crumbles, butter, other veggies like zucchini, red bell pepper,
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Mix flour, cornmeal, salt and spices together in a wide shallow bowl, big enough for dredging the fish or tofu.
- To make fish heat oil in a skillet, over medium high heat. Dredge fish or tofu in the Cornmeal mixture and place in the hot skillet, searing until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Turn over, turn heat down to medium. Cook 2-3 more minutes, and place in a warm oven, until cooked to your desired “done-ness”.
- Make the succotash – In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onions, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Turn heat down to medium, add fava beans and poblano pepper and and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, lowering heat if necessary.
- Add garlic, jalapeño, fresh corn and salt and spices and cook 2-3 minutes. Add broth, and simmer until reduced. For extra richness, you could add bacon crumbles or a dollop of butter.
- Squeeze a half of a small lime, and fold in the cilantro .
- Taste and adjust salt and lime. Turn heat off.
- Divide among bowls and place the fish or tofu over top, garnishing with fresh lime and cilantro
Notes
If using tofu, cut into 1-inch slabs, and pat try. Season with extra salt, then dredge.
Fava beans can be prepped ahead. Succotash can be cooked ahead and reheated.
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
Keywords: Cornmeal crusted Halibut, summer succotash with fava beans, halibut recipe, best halibut recipe, pan fried halibut
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