Smoky Mediterranean Seared Fish with Butter Beans and Spinach
A LOT of recipes are happy accidents. This Seared Fish with Butter Beans and Spinach is one of those.
I had just finished up with a client meeting and wasn’t really in the mood to cook anything… involved… for dinner. Fridge door open, I took inventory. Two thawed white fish fillets and a bowl of leftover butter beans. Honestly, I really didn’t know if these two things would actually go together. But I figured if nothing else, it would be ‘healthy’, edible, and get us fed.
How I was going to bring them together was a whole other story. The spinach ended up in it because I looked at the beige butter beans and paprika seared fish and thought ‘that needs some color‘. Popping into the fridge, I found a half a bunch of spinach. The perfect balance with the slight bitterness and the sweet beans and fish.
I’m so glad I gave this dish a go cause it’s become one of our favorite high-protein meals. It is healthy but it’s also so sinfully delicious because of the silky, smoky sauce. Elegant and fast to make. 10 minutes of prep, 15 to 20 minutes to cook, and dinner is on the table in under 30 minutes.
Only got canned tuna in the cabinet for dinner? Try these Tuna Fish Cakes. Make extra so you’ve got extra meals for lunch the next day.
Smoked Paprika is the Spice of Spain
The ingredient that pulled this dish together was the smoked paprika. I’ve always used smoked paprika in my Mexican food. But after traveling and spending several months in Spain, I’ve really come to appreciate the spice on a different level. Which sent me down a rabbit hole of trying authentic Spanish recipes from food bloggers like Spain on a Fork. It was his recipe for a seared tuna seasoned with paprika that inspired me to try it on my fish fillets.
Spanish monks from the Extremadura or La Vera region gave us the joys of smoked paprika. If it’s smoked paprika from that region, it’s known as Pimentón de la Vera. Made in the rest of Spain it’s pimentón. The peppers themselves came from the Americas back during Spanish exploring. Spain is too humid to sun-dry the peppers like they do for sweet Hungarian paprika. So the monks smoked the peppers over oak fires, giving us that yummy smokiness. Hungarian paprika lacks that deep smoky goodness and is more flat in flavor.
In Spain you can get pimentón dulce or pimentón picante. Both are smoky, but dulce is sweet and picante is spicy. So if you use spicy peppers in your dishes, be careful to make sure which paprika you’re using when seasoning. Be careful buying Spanish paprika from other places since much of it is smoke flavor and quite often contains dyes. Get the real deal.
Just to be clear, this isn’t a Spanish dish. It’s Mediterranean, but not Spanish.
Want to try a Portuguese fish dish that uses smoked paprika? Try my recipe that uses canned sardines served on grilled red peppers.
The Sauce is What Makes this Smoky Seared Fish with Butter Beans Sinful
I make my dried beans at home, so I build the broth to be used in dishes. If I have chicken or veggie stock I use that, paired with fresh bay leaves, and either a bouillon cube or a hint of salt. If I don’t have stock, I toss a whole carrot, a stick of celery, some fresh bay leaves, and a bouillon cube into the pot as the beans cook. Still in stock.
The beans come out tasting so good, we’ll eat them by the bowlful straight out of the pot. I also use the bean stock in soups, stews, and other dishes that use stock. I’ll be adding a post in the upcoming months sharing all my tricks for cooking dried beans that makes them so much better than just using water and salt.
Unfortunately if you’re using store bought beans, it’s drain and discard. The liquid just isn’t good enough in a dish. In that case, I recommend swapping in white wine and/or chicken or veggie stock instead. You can go either fully one or the other or a half and half blend. I have been hearing from my friends that Bold Beans liquids is good enough to use, but haven’t tried them myself.
Using the bean broth in this dish, paired with butter and a bit more paprika turns it into a silky smooth sauce. The sauce that ties this seared fish with butter beans into this sinfully delicious dish.
Let’s Talk About the White Fish You’re Going to Use
Here in Portugal, we get really nice Panga fillets in the freezer section. Panga is a type of Vietnamese catfish. I tend to keep a bag in the freezer for when we didn’t have time to deal with fresh fish. If I’m going fresh I use robalo, or sea bass fillets. Fresh or frozen works.
Those may not be as readily available in the States. Fish substitutes with similar cooking times that you can easily use is tilapia, flounder, or snapper. They all have thinner fillets that will sear and cook through in about the same 2-3 minutes per side. You can also use hake, cod, halibut, or grouper. Just plan on a couple of extra minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your fish.
Either way, you’re looking for a white fish that flakes easily with a fork when it’s done. It goes from translucent to opaque all the way through as it gets done.
Got a whole fish and want to cook it at home without the house smelling like fish? Try my oven baked fish recipe.
Tips for Buying and Thawing Fish
If you’re using frozen fish fillets, thaw in the fridge, never on the counter. That’s how you risk spoiling your fish and getting food poisoning. I recommend pulling it out the day before if possible. Place in a shallow dish lines with paper towels to soak up the ice from the fish as it thaws. Switch out the towels and pour off any water a couple of times.
Just don’t make the mistake I did, by letting the paper towels hang over the edges of the dish. The liquid wicks straight out of the pan and onto your fridge shelves. Yep, then you gotta clean the fridge.
About an hour before I cook the fish, I pull all the paper towels and leave the fish uncovered in the fridge, so it has time to dry out. A dry fillet is what gets the best sear, rather than steaming your fish. If you’re running late on getting the fish thawed, blot with paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible.
Want to know more about fish safety thawing guidelines, check here.
A Dish You Can Eat With a Spoon
The hubby and I tend to eat this one with a spoon, not a knife and fork cause we like it SAUCY. Plus, the seared fish is so tender. Of course crusty bread for sopping is a must as well if you’re making this recipe as written. If you’d like less sauce, cut the liquids to a half a cup instead of a full cup.
If you want dairy-free, swap the butter for olive oil. You’ll lose the silky richness, but it will all still taste fantastic. Just use a really good olive oil, like one from the mid-season crops that are more milder and fatty feeling in the mouth.
Btw, this recipe is written makes two adult servings. One full fillet each, plenty of beans and sauce. It’s a lunch or dinner-sized dish. If you’re serving kids or want to switch to a light starter, it’ll easily serve four. Either way, the dish is cooked and ready to serve in 30 minutes or less.
Recommended Ingredients & Tools for Seared Fish with Butter Beans
Ingredients
- Dried Butter Beans — The whole recipe starts here. Buying dried instead of canned lets you build that homemade broth, which is really the secret to the pan sauce.
- Cooked Butter Beans — Short of time or just don’t want to make beans? Grab a jar or can from the store. There’s no shame in using short cuts to make things faster.
- Spanish Smoked Paprika (Pimentón) — It’s the smoky flavor that makes this dish shine. Regular sweet paprika is flat compared to Spanish Smoked Paprika. Don’t skip this ingredient.
- Herbes de Provence — This is one of the herb mix staples I can’t live without. In the States it’s hard to find it without lavender added to it. I like lavender in it, but authentic French Herbes de Provence does NOT have lavender in it.
Tools
- Cast Iron Skillet — Everyone needs a good cast iron skillet and Lodge makes my favorite one. It’s made in the US, and it’s the way you’ll get a good sear on these fish fillets. Another good thing about using cast iron is you can cook at a lower heat because once the pan heats up it conducts heat evenly, and holds it for quite a while after you turn off the heat.
- Fish Spatula — Getting fillets out of the pan with breaking them is key. This is a place where a fish spatula earns it’s keep. Plus you can still use it other places where you need a spatula while cooking.
- Citrus Zester — And of course no kitchen is complete without a good zester. Btw, you can use your zester for grating nutmeg cloves, as well. But fresh zest can pop any dish.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Seared Fish with Butter Beans
- Can I use canned butter beans instead of cooking dried ones? Yes. Drain and discard the canning liquid, then use white wine and/or chicken or veggie stock in its place — either fully one or a half-and-half blend. I’ve heard from friends that Bold Bean Co is one store-bought brand that makes their bean liquid genuinely good enough to use instead of draining, though I haven’t tried that myself.
- What if I only have sweet smoked paprika, not the hot variety? Add a small pinch of cayenne pepper until you get the heat levels you like. It’s not quite the same, but it gets you close.
- Can I double this for a family of four? Absolutely. Just double, or if making for more people, continue timing by two to match the number of people you plan on serving. The ratios and cooking method stay the same although you might have to cook things in batches.
- Why is my fish turning watery when I cook it? Because it wasn’t thawed properly. The water crystals in the fish are cooking out. That’s why you want to make sure your fish is fully thawed and dry the moisture from the fillets before cooking.
- Can I cook the fish fillets while frozen? Well technically you can. Doesn’t mean you should. You’ll end up with mushy fish. If you want nice beautifully seared fish, make sure your fish is completely thawed and dry.
Mediterranean Seared Fish with Smoky Butter Beans and Spinach
Ingredients
Seared Fish:
- 2 8 oz (225 gram) large white fish fillets – fresh or frozen Panga, Tilapia, Flounder, or Sea Bass or see fish substitutions section for more
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Juice and zest from 1 small lemon save a small bit of the zest for finishing
Beans and Sauce:
- 2 cups whole cooked dried butter beans
- 1 cup bean broth/juices if using store-bought beans, drain them and use white wine and/or chicken or veggie broth instead — fully one or a half-and-half blend both work
- 2-3 cups fresh spinach chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cube chicken bouillon or salt to taste
- 2 tbsp butter or olive oil, for dairy-free
- Small handful chopped parsley
- ½ tsp smoked paprika hot/spicy variety (or sweet smoked paprika plus a pinch of cayenne)
- ½ tsp Herbes de Provence
- Black pepper to taste
Finishing:
- Drizzle of the pan sauce over the fish, chopped parsley, and hint of lemon zest
Instructions
Seared Fish:
- If using frozen fish, thaw fully in the fridge and pat very dry — see the fish notes below for Heidi’s thawing method.
- Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season both sides of the fish fillets with the smoked paprika, Herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper.
- Sear the fish 2-3 minutes per side (add a minute or two per side for a thicker fillet like cod or halibut), until golden and cooked through. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
Beans and Sauce:
- Add the garlic, remaining paprika, and Herbes de Provence, and cook about 30 seconds, until fragrant — don't let it brown.
- Pour in the bean broth (or wine/stock, if using store-bought beans), scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add the bouillon and the lemon juice and zest. Simmer 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add the butter beans and simmer 2-3 minutes, until warmed through.
- Stir in the spinach, a handful at a time, until just wilted (don't let it sit too long or it turns mushy).
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same skillet.
- Stir in the parsley. Taste the broth and adjust salt and pepper.
Finishing:
- Divide the beans, broth, and spinach between two shallow bowls. Top each with a seared fish fillet, drizzle with more of the pan sauce, and finish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley and a hint of lemon zest.
Notes
- Doubles cleanly for 4 servings — double the fish, beans, broth, and aromatics, and the ratios hold.
- Dairy-free swap: use olive oil in place of the butter. You’ll lose a little of that silky richness butter gives the sauce, but it still works.