Seared Tuna and Black Rice

We picked up the most BEAUTIFUL piece of sushi grade tuna from Eataly - what a stunner, and what a great Sunday supper!  A piece of fish this perfect needs very little intervention from the cook.  Salt, pepper, a white-hot pan, a quick sear on both sides - maybe a simple vinaigrette to annote the filet with a bit of herby goodness - THAT IS IT!  You're ready for a meal that will knock your socks off.  I still had some of that black rice left from Valentine's Day - it is so pretty, it comes out purple.  Something green?  I'll do Josh a solid and make his all-time favorite veggie: Rapini (Broccoli Rabe.)  Oh boy - this is going to be a good dinner!  Being at Eataly inspired me to put a Mediterranean spin on this meal - flavor combo: citrus, parsley, basil, green olives (I would use capers, but I'm out,) garlic and oil.  It would be easy to go with an Asian flavor profile as well - soy, citrus, ginger, garlic - only a few modifications could change the whole meal - steamed bok choy and sticky rice, done.

Seared Tuna with Black Rice
1/2 - 3/4 lb sushi grade tuna (you want sushi grade if you're going to serve it rare)
1 bunch of broccoli rabe
1 cup black rice 1
1/2 a bunch of basil
sprigs of parsley
handful of green olives
small spoon of whole grain mustard
1/2 a lemon
couple cloves of garlic minced
splash of chicken stock (low sodium if you're watching the salt intake)
salt
pep
oil

Rice:
Set your rice with 2 1/2 cups of water in a small sauce pan on high heat - bring it to the boil, reduce to low, cover and set for 40 minutes.  Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom.  I find this product a bit tricky to work with.  It takes longer to cook than regular rice - but it goes from undercooked to overcooked in a blink.  So keep your eye on it at the end.  My rice box suggests finishing the rice with a pat of butter - and since Julia taught me that everything is better with butter, how can I argue?

Broccoli Rabe:
Blanch the veg in salted boiling water for 5 minutes.  Drain well.  Get a skillet over medium heat and saute a glove of garlic - you know the drill - do not brown the garlic, it will get bitter.  Once the garlic sautes for a minute - pop in the broccoli rabe and saute all together for a minute - douse with a splash of chicken stock and turn on low.

Fish:
Whiz up you herbs, garlic, lemon juice, mustard and olives in your cuisinart.  Drizzle in a few drops of olive oil as the machine is whizzing around - no more than a tablespoon.  I like to add in a dribble or two of water if I need a little more liquid to loosen up the mixture, rather than adding more oil.  It should be bright and fragrant - but not too powerful.  Tuna is a hearty, meaty fish - so it can stand up to the flavors, but you don't want the mixture to be overpowering.  Get your non-stick skillet screaming hot, dribble in a few drops of oil.  Season your fish on both sides with salt and pepper and drop that beauty into your skillet.  RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO FUSS WITH THE FISH.  You want to sear the filet and develop a nice, golden crust.  This takes a matter of moments - you can see the flesh of the fish turn opaque when it hits the pan and the opacity creeps upward as it cooks.  Once the opaque line reaches a thickness of about 1/8 of an inch - flip that sucker over.  Repeat.  Pull it out of the pan when you can see it is done the same amount on the other side.  Let the fish rest for a minute - all meats need to collect themselves after the cooking process, it's very dramatic being in all that heat, you know.  Then slice against the grain and drizzle with your lovely herb vinaigrette.

I hope you like this one as much as we did!