Tonight, I was working with an overabundance of black beans since I was making something for a work event tomorrow (that recipe will be posted in the near future). Anyway, as I was reflecting on my black bean adventures, I realized that I use them almost exclusively to make Mexican/Southwestern flavours. So, I gave myself a little challenge….to build a totally different flavour profile. No cumin, no chili powder, no chipotle chilies…oh my! Anyway, below is the result. A sweet and tangy black bean sauce that pairs very well with a meaty fish…or I imagine could be thinned out with a little water and used as a stir-fry sauce!
Tonight, we put the sauce over broiled cod, and topped it with green onions. Then, we paired it with a green pea and rice vinegar infused white rice (a fun way to repurpose leftover Chinese takeout white rice)…but this fish would also go nicely over Ramen or other Asian noodles.
Time: 20-25 Minutes
Ingredients:
- Cod (Fillet or Loin)
- Black Beans (about 1/2 can is good for 2-3 portions)
- Black Vinegar (or rice vinegar if you prefer)
- Ginger (fresh is best…if you can, use it)
- Honey (a little goes a long way)
- Green onions (if you plan to garnish)
Method:
- Put your beans into a small sauce pan, and add your black vinegar and honey.
- Peel the skin off some of your ginger root and then using a microplane grater, grate it into the bean mixture.
- Mash the beans using a potato masher. This will infuse the beans with the flavour, and it will also help your texture later.
- Turn the heat on under your bean pan (stirring intermittently throughout), and start your broiler on low.
- Line a baking pan with foil, and give it a little oil spray to prevent sticking.
- When your beans start to come together and thicken, put your cod in the broiler. The cod will cook pretty quickly, and it is much less forgiving than the sauce. If the cod is done before the sauce, that’s a dicey situation..but if the sauce is done first and starts to dry, you can always add in a little more water (I had to do that).
- When the thickest part of your cod reaches an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F, it is good to go.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy!
