# Black Cod with Walnut Tarator, Pomegranate-Tahina Squash and Za’atar Romano Beans > Buttery black cod gets a generous spoonful of lemony walnut tarator, with roasted Romano beans bringing a savory hit of za’atar. Sweet Blue Hokkaido squash, tangy pomegranate syrup and creamy tahina round out an autumn plate with plenty of contrast. - URL: https://www.chezjk.com/recipes/black-cod-with-walnut-tarator-blue-hokkaido-squash-with-tahina-pomegranate-roast - Author: Jonathan Katzman - Cooked and photographed: 2024-10-14 - Recipe updated: 2026-10-23 - Serves: 4 servings - Tags: gluten-free, dairy-free, pescatarian ![Black Cod with Walnut Tarator, Pomegranate-Tahina Squash and Za’atar Romano Beans](https://www.chezjk.com/api/images?path=9e5d6860-dd86-455e-b57b-e352c363fc57%2F2582002a1c656e88.jpg) ## Roasted Black Cod Black cod’s rich flesh stays succulent in the oven, while a restrained seasoning leaves room for the walnut sauce. ### Ingredients - 4 fillets black cod (sablefish), 5–6 ounces each, pin bones removed - 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment. 2. Pat the fish dry, check carefully for pin bones, and arrange skin-side down. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. 3. Roast for 10–16 minutes, depending on thickness, until the flesh separates into moist flakes and the thickest part reaches 145°F. Begin checking at 10 minutes; avoid waiting for the surface to brown. 4. Transfer carefully with a wide spatula. Spoon walnut tarator over the fish and finish with parsley and the reserved chopped walnuts from the sauce component. ### Notes - Black cod has a delicate structure when cooked; leave the skin underneath for easier handling, whether or not you eat it. ## Walnut Tarator Walnuts give the sauce body without bread, while lemon and garlic cut through the richness of the fish. ### Ingredients - 1 cup walnut halves and pieces - 1 small clove garlic, finely grated - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - 1/2 cup cool water, plus more as needed - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste ### Instructions 1. Toast the walnuts on a small tray at 350°F for 5–7 minutes, until fragrant but not deeply browned. Let cool. 2. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the walnuts and chop them for finishing the fish. 3. Combine the remaining walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and water in a blender. Blend until creamy with a little fine walnut texture. 4. Adjust with water a tablespoon at a time until the sauce falls easily from a spoon but still coats the fish. Taste for salt and lemon. ### Notes - Serve at room temperature rather than heating; the sauce thickens as it stands, so loosen it just before plating. ## Roasted Blue Hokkaido Squash with Pomegranate Roasting concentrates the squash’s sweetness, while tart pomegranate syrup and juicy arils keep it from feeling heavy. ### Ingredients - 1 small squash Blue Hokkaido squash, about 2 1/2 pounds - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper - 2 tablespoons unsweetened pomegranate molasses - 1/2 cup pomegranate arils ### Instructions 1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Scrub the squash, halve it and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 8 skin-on crescents, about 1 inch thick at the widest point. 2. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange on a parchment-lined sheet pan with a cut face against the pan and space between the wedges. 3. Roast for 30–40 minutes, turning after about 20 minutes, until the flesh is tender to a knife and the cut surfaces have browned. 4. Arrange on plates and spoon over the lemon-garlic tahina. Drizzle sparingly with pomegranate molasses and scatter with the arils. ### Notes - The skin can be eaten if tender; leave any leathery portions on the plate. - If the molasses is too thick to drizzle, loosen it with a teaspoon of warm water. ## Lemon-Garlic Tahina A pourable tahina sauce adds savory sesame richness and enough acidity to balance the sweet roasted squash. ### Ingredients - 1/3 cup well-stirred tahini - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice - 1/2 small clove garlic, finely grated - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt - 1/4 cup ice-cold water, plus more as needed ### Instructions 1. Whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and salt. It will initially become stiff. 2. Whisk in the cold water gradually until pale, smooth and pourable. Add another tablespoon or two of water if needed so it ribbons over the squash rather than sitting in a mound. 3. Taste and adjust the lemon and salt. ### Notes - Keep this sauce a little looser than a dip; it thickens as it rests. ## Roasted Romano Beans with Za’atar High heat blisters the broad beans while keeping some bite. Adding most of the za’atar after roasting preserves its herbal aroma. ### Ingredients - 1 pound Romano beans, stem ends trimmed and strings removed if present - 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - 1 tablespoon gluten-free za’atar blend with sesame and sumac - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, adjusted for the salt in the za’atar - 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice ### Instructions 1. Dry the beans thoroughly. Toss with olive oil, salt and 1 teaspoon of the za’atar. 2. Spread in one layer on a large sheet pan. Roast at 425°F for 15–20 minutes, tossing once, until lightly blistered and tender with a little bite. 3. Toss with the remaining za’atar and lemon juice just before serving. ### Notes - Use a separate sheet pan from the squash so the beans roast rather than steam. ## Overall Timing / Workflow The sauces can wait while the vegetables roast, and the fish cooks last so it reaches the table moist and hot. ### Instructions 1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 350°F and toast the walnuts while cutting the squash and trimming the beans. 2. 0:10 — Remove the walnuts and raise the oven to 425°F. Season the squash and put it in the oven once hot. 3. 0:15 — Make the walnut tarator and lemon-garlic tahina. Seed the pomegranate if needed. 4. 0:30 — Turn the squash and add the tray of beans. Season the fish. 5. 0:40 — Check the vegetables. Remove each tray when ready and keep loosely covered in a warm spot. Put the fish in the oven, using the freed rack space. 6. 0:50–0:60 — Check the fish for doneness. Loosen the sauces if needed, finish the beans with lemon and za’atar, and plate immediately. ### Notes - Both sauces can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring them toward room temperature before serving. ## Plating Keeping the two sauces in distinct areas lets the walnut-fish and sesame-squash pairings stay clear, with the beans providing a less saucy contrast. ### Instructions 1. Place two squash crescents on one side of each warm plate. Spoon tahina across the flesh, then add pomegranate molasses and arils. 2. Arrange a loose stack of Romano beans alongside. 3. Set the black cod in the remaining space and generously spoon walnut tarator over and around it. Finish with chopped walnuts and parsley, leaving some fish visible. ## Leftover Path Storing the sauces separately protects their texture and gives the vegetables a useful second life without overcooking the fish. ### Instructions 1. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours, keeping the fish, vegetables, sauces and arils in separate airtight containers. Use the fish within 2 days and the vegetables and sauces within 3–4 days. 2. Reheat squash and beans at 375°F until hot. For the fish, cover loosely and warm gently at 275°F until it reaches 165°F, checking early to minimize drying. 3. Alternatively, flake the chilled fish over leftover squash and beans for a cold lunch. Add loosened tarator or tahina and the reserved pomegranate arils just before eating. --- From ChezJK (https://www.chezjk.com), Jonathan Katzman's public home-cooking archive: every meal he has photographed, written up as a recipe you can cook.