Black Cod & Halibut Cheeks with Summertime Corn + Shelling Bean Succotash

Black cod (sablefish), skin-on

High-fat, skin-on black cod takes a hot pan and short butter baste beautifully — skin crisps while the flesh stays silky.

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb black cod/sablefish, skin-on, cut into 4 portions
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp neutral oil (grapeseed or canola)
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (or ghee for dairy-free)
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 lemon, halved (for finishing)

Instructions

1. Pat cod dry and season both sides with salt and pepper; leave skin side dry to help crisp.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot, add oil and place cod skin-side down. Press gently with a spatula for 20–30 seconds to keep skin flat.
3. Cook skin-side down undisturbed 4–5 minutes until skin is deep golden and crisp; flip carefully.
4. Add butter (or ghee), smashed garlic and tilt the pan. Spoon the hot butter over the top of the fillets (baste) for 1–2 minutes more until opaque and just cooked through.
5. Squeeze lemon over fish and keep warm while plating.

Notes

• If cod portions are thick, finish in a 400°F oven 3–4 minutes after flipping.
• Ghee keeps the dish dairy-free/paleo-ish if you prefer that swap.

Halibut cheeks, seared

Delicate halibut cheeks benefit from a quick sear and a light herb finish to contrast the richer black cod.

Ingredients

• 10 oz halibut cheeks (or small halibut portions), patted dry
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

1. Season cheeks with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a nonstick or stainless skillet over medium-high heat. Add cheeks and sear 2–3 minutes per side until lightly golden and just opaque inside.
3. Add butter/ghee to the pan in the last 30 seconds and spoon over the cheeks; remove and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Notes

• Halibut cheeks cook very quickly — avoid overcooking to keep them tender.
• If cheeks are very small, group them so they sear rather than steam.

Summertime succotash (corn, fresh shelling beans, romesco squash, gypsy peppers, Early Girl tomatoes)

Sweet corn and tender fresh shelling beans make the succotash substantial; small squash and gypsy peppers add texture and bright flavor while tomatoes and herbs brighten the mix.

Ingredients

• 4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut off (about 3 cups)
• 1 cup fresh shelling beans (shelled lima, butter or cranberry beans)
• 1 cup romesco squash or small zucchini/yellow squash, 1/2" dice
• 2 gypsy peppers (or small sweet peppers), seeded and diced
• 1 cup Early Girl tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee (optional)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice or sherry vinegar
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• to taste salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium; add shallot and cook until translucent, 1–2 minutes.
2. Add diced squash and gypsy peppers; sauté 3–4 minutes until beginning to soften.
3. Add corn kernels and shelled beans; cook, stirring, 3–4 minutes until corn is bright and beans are tender-crisp. Add garlic in the last minute so it doesn’t burn.
4. Stir in tomatoes, butter/ghee (if using), lemon juice or vinegar and most of the herbs; season to taste.
5. Remove from heat and fold in remaining basil and parsley. Keep warm until plating.

Notes

• If fresh shelling beans are not available, use frozen lima or baby lima; par-cook them first so they’re tender.
• Romesco squash in the caption is treated here as a small summer squash—use zucchini or yellow crookneck if needed.
• To make fully dairy-free, omit the butter/ghee and finish with a splash more olive oil and lemon.

Fish butter baste (finishing sauce)

Hot melted butter (or ghee) with garlic lemons and pan juices quickly bastes and flavors both kinds of fish without overpowering the succotash.

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
• 1 clove garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Melt butter/ghee in the fish pan after searing and add smashed garlic for flavor.
2. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the fish repeatedly (basting) for 1–2 minutes to finish and glaze the fillets; squeeze lemon when done.

Notes

• Use ghee for a dairy-free option that still lends the ‘basted’ fat richness.

Plating & final garnish

A spoonful of warm succotash between the two fish lets flavors mingle; fresh parsley and lemon brighten the plate.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for final garnish)
• 1 lemon wedges

Instructions

1. Spoon a generous mound of warm succotash in the center or across the plate.
2. Place black cod (skin side visible) on one side and halibut cheeks on the other.
3. Drizzle any reserved pan butter over the fish and sprinkle parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Notes

• A scattering of basil ribbons over the succotash reinforces the fresh summer flavor.

Workflow (timing & order)

Cook the succotash first so it stays warm while you sear and baste the quick-cooking fish.

Instructions

1. Prepare and cut all vegetables, shell the beans and cut corn off the cob.
2. Start the succotash and keep it warm on the lowest burner once finished.
3. Heat a large pan and cook the black cod skin-side down first (takes longest to crisp).
4. While cod is crisping, sear halibut cheeks in a second smaller pan and finish with butter and parsley.
5. Finish the cod by flipping briefly and butter-basting; plate succotash and both fishes, garnish and serve.

Notes

• Two pans speed the service so both fishes are hot at plating.
• Total active time ~30 minutes once ingredients are prepped.