Black Bean Cakes With Spicy Cilantro Sauce

By á-174942

Ingredients

• SPICY CILANTRO SAUCE:
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup finely-chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely-chopped green bell pepper
• 2 large garlic cloves minced
• 1 2/3 cups cooked black beans
• 2/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves chopped fine
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• 2 large eggs beaten lightly
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/2 jalapeño chile minced
• Kosher salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened. In a bowl, mash 1/3 of the beans with a fork and stir in the remaining beans, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the eggs.

Form bean mixture into 8 (4-inch) patties (mixture will be wet and soft). Gently dredge patties in cornmeal and transfer to a large plate lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cakes for 30 minutes and up to 12 hours.

Pour enough oil into a heavy skillet to reach 1/4-inch up the side. Heat the oil over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches, cook the patties, turning once, until well browned, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer the cakes to paper towels to drain.

Divide the cakes among plates and serve with the Spicy Cilantro Sauce.

Spicy Cilantro Sauce: Stir together cilantro, vegetable oil, soy sauce, garlic, lime juice, and chile. Season with salt and pepper. (Makes about 1 cup)

This recipe yields 4 servings.