Blackened Redfish
Note: Inspired by Better Homes and Gardens' Cajun Cooking and Paul
Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen. The spices are fairly universal.
Chef Prudhomme adds 1 T Sweet paprika and oregano. He heats the skillet
almost 10 minutes on high heat, until it is
". . . beyond the smoking stage" and there is white ash in the pan. That's
hot! Farm-raised fish tends to be thicker, requiring a longer cooking time. In
that case, it's best to blacken it first, then turn the heat down and cook till fish is no
longer pink inside. This recipe can be used for grilling following the same steps.
Just remove the grill and place pan directly on hot coals. Catfish is
very moist and can dilute the rub. Wash first, wrap in clean cloth, and
refrigerate 1-2 hours.
1-1 1/4 lb fresh or frozen thawed redfish, catfish, red snapper, or salmon
fillet about
1/2" thick.
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1 t ground cayenne pepper
3/4 t ground white pepper
3/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1/2 t dried thyme, crushed
3 T melted butter
1. Prepare seasonings in bowl for dredging fish.
2. Heat large cast-iron skillet (pan must be heavy) over high heat. Do
not oil.
3. Brush fillets on both sides with some of the melted butter and dredge in
seasoning
mixture.
4. Add fillets to the skillet. Drizzle a little more butter on tops, but
use caution.
Grease in a pan this hot can catch fire.
5. Cook about 2 minutes on one side, or more for a thicker cut. Fillet
should be
blackened.
6. Turn, drizzle with more butter and cook an additional 2 minutes, till
blackened and
fillet flakes easily.