Seared Fluke with Carolina Gold Rice and Olde Salt Clams

Seared Fluke with Carolina Gold Rice, Olde Salt Clams, Lavender, Fennel and Yogurt
from Cassidee Dabney, Executive Chef at The Barn

Seared Fluke
Pull fluke from refrigeration about 20 minutes before cooking.
Season with salt and pepper, wrap in a paper towel.
Heat a sauté pan to a medium high heat. Use just enough neutral oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
Unwrap the fluke from the paper towel, gently place the fluke filets in the hot oil. Be careful to place the filets away from you so as not to splatter hot oil on your hand.
Allow the filets to cook until the sides start to brown and the fish becomes a bit white. Continue cooking a minute, using a fish spatula flip the filet over. Add a few small pats of butter to the pan and a sprig of thyme. Baste the filet with the butter as it begins to brown. Cook a minute more.
Remove the fish from the pan and allow to rest for 3-4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Carolina Gold Rice and Clams
Cooked Charleston gold rice
Cooked clams
2 cups clam broth
Lavender sprigs
Caramelized fennel
Caramelized Cipollini onions
Fennel pollen
Fennel fronds
Georgia extra virgin olive oil
Garlic butter
Plain Greek yogurt

Purge the clams and very carefully pick through them, insuring all clams are alive and awesome.
Caramelize onion and fennel in a large rondo, add clams, and cover with white wine (NO WATER).
Remove the clams as they open up. Add a few springs of lavender to the clam broth so that it gets a subtle lavender taste, but not overpowering.
Strain out the onions and fennel, cool down immediately with the picked clams in the strained broth.
The clams will plump up a bit when stored in the broth.

You will need some of the clam broth for reheating the rice. Have the onions and fennel already caramelized.
Reheat the rice in a splash of clam broth, garlic butter and a small sprig of lavender. Finish the rice with a dollop of yogurt and six clams. Removethe lavender sprig.
Douse the rice generously with Georgia extra virgin olive oil, fennel pollen and fronds.

Use the rice as your base, plate the dish and enjoy!