Crispy Black Bean Cakes with Sour Cream and Avocado

This recipe came from an interesting article in Food & Wine magazine (my favorite!) on "Canned Bean Cuisine." Recipes that demonstrated ways to "gussy up" canned beans into something more substantial, more delicious, and...dare I say it?...more gourmet. An interesting option was spinach salad with cannelini beans and shrimp. But I was most intrigued by THIS idea...crispy, creamy pan-fried cakes with a Southwestern twist. And, honestly, they turned out even FAR better than that. So good, in fact, that they're on the short list (probably topped with a spicy grilled shrimp) for an upcoming wine pairing dinner...with either a creamy Chardonnay or a tangy rosé. But, I digress...on to this wonderfully delicious and easy to fix recipe.

Crispy Black Bean Cakes with Sour Cream and Avocado
From Food & Wine magazine.
Serves four.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for frying
1 small onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large garlic clove, minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Two 15-ounce cans black beans, drained
1 1/4 cups plain dry bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
Sour cream, avocado, scallions and lime wedges, for serving

In a medium skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderate heat just until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the cumin and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Scrape the onion mixture into the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 1/2 cups of the beans and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped but not smooth. Scrape the mixture into a medium bowl. Mix in the remaining whole beans and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Form the mixture into twelve 1/4-cup patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

Put the flour, beaten eggs and the remaining 3/4 cup of bread crumbs into 3 shallow bowls. Dust each black bean cake with the flour, tapping off the excess. Dip the cakes in the egg and then in the bread crumbs, pressing so that the bread crumbs adhere.

In a very large skillet, heat 1/8 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the cakes and fry over moderate heat until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve the black bean cakes with sour cream, avocado, scallions and lime wedges.