Pan-Seared Halibut in Black Rice Flour

This recipe comes from a cooking class I took with Shauna James Ahern, more commonly known as the Gluten-free Girl. With fresh halibut coming into season, this simple recipe is an utterly fantastic way to celebrate a melt-in-your mouth filet of fresh halibut.

• 12 oz. fresh halibut*
• 1/3 cup forbidden black rice, ground into flour with a Vitamix or coffee grinder
• 1 tsp. each kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp. high quality olive oil
• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter** (or coconut oil)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Comine black rice flour, salt and pepper. Place it upon a saucer and plunk the fish down into the flour mixture. Turn fish over, and coat all sides in flour. Shake off excess.

Heat an oven-proof skillet (like a cast iron skillet) until a drop of water sizzles upon the surface. Add the oil and butter to the pan. When the butter begins to foam, but hasyet to brown, add the fish. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the rice flour begins to form a crust on the fish. Flip the fish over and slip the skillet into the oven. Cook for5 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 120 degrees on a meat thermometer.

* You may substitute black cod or true cod for the halibut if you wish. Purchase thick cuts of fish for this recipe. If the fish is cut near the tail (and therefore thinner) saute’ the fish in the pan rather than searing it in the oven.

**Butter is used to make the coating crispier.