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Blackened Fish Steaks Or Fillets

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Blackened Fish Steaks Or Fillets

Cuisine:Cajun

Course:Dinner

10m prep 10m cook 20m ready

4 servings The original blackened fish was redfish. The spice mixture and technique were created in New Orleans by chef Paul Prudhomme. Make this dish with any firm-fleshed steaks or fillets, such as swordfish, red snapper, grouper, or catfish. But do not make the dish unless your stove has a functional exhaust fan. And turn off the smoke detectors (don’t forget to turn them back on after cooking!).

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Ingredients

Servings:
½× 1× 1½× 2× 3×
Units:
As Written US Metric
  • 1
    • 2 tbsp sweet paprika
    • 2 tsp dried thyme
    • 2 tsp dried oregano
    • 2 tsp cayenne pepper
    • 2 tsp coarsely cracked black peppercorns
    • 1 tsp salt
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. In a small bowl, combine the sweet paprika, dried thyme, dried oregano or marjoram, cayenne pepper, coarsely cracked peppercorns, and salt. Stir with a fork or small whisk until the spices are evenly distributed. Set aside until ready to use.
  • 1
    • 1 pound butter
    Sub-recipe steps
    1. Melt in a saucepan over low heat: 1 pound butter
    2. Once melted, do not stir. Skim off any foam that comes to the surface.
    3. For clarified butter, remove from the heat after the foaming ceases. Let stand a few minutes, allowing the milk solids to settle to the bottom. Carefully pour the liquid into a heatproof container, leaving the solids behind, or pour through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a coffee filter or flour sack towel.
    4. For ghee, continue heating the butter over the lowest heat possible, keeping it below a simmer until golden and brown milk solids have settled at the bottom of the pan. This can take up to 1 hour. At this slow rate, the milk solids settle nicely. Pour or strain into a container as for clarified butter.
    5. Both can be stored in an airtight container for 6 to 8 months in the refrigerator. When chilled, clarified butter and ghee become grainy. They should not be used as a spread, only in cooking.
  • 1½ to 2 pounds firm-fleshed fish fillets or steaks, patted dry
  • Lemon wedges

Let's Prepare

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

  • 1 Cajun Blackening Spice
  • 1 ½ cup Clarified Butter
  • 1½ to 2 pounds firm-fleshed fish fillets or steaks, patted dry
  • Lemon wedges

Let's Cook

  1. Step 1.

    Please read about Blackening. Prepare: Cajun Blackening Spice

  2. Step 2.

    Place a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Turn on the exhaust fan. Have ready: ½ cup Clarified Butter; 1½ to 2 pounds firm-fleshed fish fillets or steaks, patted dry

  3. Step 3.

    When the pan is quite hot, after 5 to 8 minutes, brush both sides of the fish with a little of the butter, then lay it in the spice mixture, turning to coat. Place in the pan and drizzle a little butter over each. Cook, turning once, for 3 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish, or until the flesh is firm and opaque throughout. Serve with: Lemon wedges

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