Seared White Fish with Cilantro-Lime Sauce

From the garden

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, leaves and tender stems roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

From the pantry

• 1½ lb firm white fish fillets — 4 fillets; cod, haddock, or mahi all work
• 2 limes — 1 juiced for the sauce, 1 in wedges
• ½ cup olive oil — divided — most goes into the sauce
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 1¼ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
• salt — to taste
• black pepper

1. Start the rice: combine it in a lidded pot with 2 cups water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer on low 15 minutes. Let it rest off the heat, covered, while you cook the fish.
2. Make the sauce: pulse the cilantro, garlic, cumin, red pepper flakes, the juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of salt in a food processor (or mince by hand), then stir in about 6 tablespoons of the olive oil. It should be loose and spoonable — add a splash of water if it's thick. Taste and adjust salt and lime.
3. Pat the fish very dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and pepper — dry fish is what gets you a golden crust instead of steam.
4. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Lay the fillets in and cook undisturbed 3–4 minutes until the edges turn opaque and golden, then flip gently and cook 2–3 minutes more, until the fish flakes easily and reaches 145°F at the thickest point.
5. Serve the fillets over rice, spoon the cilantro sauce generously over top, and pass the lime wedges.