How Do I Blacken Fish in a Skillet?

Blackened fish was conceived by New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme.

Throw open the windows and doors, turn on the fans, and prepare for a smokey but mouthwatering fish dish with crunch and a Cajun sting. New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme devised the technique for "blackening" in the 1980s: high heat in the pan reacts with the butter to weld the spices into a tasty, crunchy black coat on each fish fillet. Does this Spark an idea?

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1/2 cup butter
Small skillet
Bowl
1/2 tbsp. sweet paprika
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. ground white pepper
3/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dry thyme
1/2 tsp. dry oregano
Cast iron skillet
2 long serving dishes
4 hand-sized fish fillets
Metal spatula
Lemon

Instructions

- 1
  
  Place 1/2 cup butter in the small skillet over low heat.
- 2
  
  Mix the paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, white pepper, black pepper, thyme and oregano in the bowl until the ingredients are well-combined.
- 3
  
  Place the ungreased cast iron skillet on the stove; turn the heat all the way up.
- 4
  
  Pour the melted butter into one of the long serving dishes alongside the bowl of spices. Roll each fillet in the butter until it is completely coated.
- 5
  
  Press each buttered fillet into the bowl of spices until it is coated on both sides. Transfer the coated fillets directly to the iron skillet. They will smoke a great deal. Remember the order in which you placed the fillets in the skillet.
- 6
  
  Cook the fish two to three minutes on each side. Slide a spatula under the fillets to ensure the fish doesn't stick to the pan. Remove the fish to the clean serving dish. Serve with lemon wedges.

Tips & Warnings

Good ventilation cannot be overemphasized when blackening fish. The smoke that is generated by cooking this dish is made from three types of pepper; that smoke will react with lungs, nose and eyes like teargas.

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