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Blackened redfish
Spice-crusted fillets seared in a smoking-hot cast-iron pan
Blackened redfish was the dish that made Cajun cooking famous across America in the 1980s, created in a New Orleans restaurant by a chef from Opelousas. Fillets are dipped in butter, coated thickly in paprika, cayenne, thyme and pepper and seared in a white-hot cast-iron pan, so the spices char into a dark, smoky crust while the fish stays moist. It produces a lot of smoke, so open the windows or cook it outside. Chef's tip: the pan must be heated empty for a full 5 minutes; a lukewarm pan steams the fish instead of blackening it.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 4 redfish, red drum or firm white fish fillets, skinlessabout 180 g each, 2 cm thick
- 2 ⅞ oz buttermelted
- 1 tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 ½ tsp salt
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (2)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix the 1 tbsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp black pepper and 1 ½ tsp salt on a plate.
2 minStep 2: Heat a large cast-iron pan over a high heat for 5 minutes, until it is smoking.
5 minStep 3: Dip each 4 redfish, red drum or firm white fish fillets, skinless fillet in the 2 ⅞ oz butter, then press firmly into the spices to coat both sides.
3 minStep 4: Lay the fillets in the dry pan and cook 2 minutes, until the underside is dark and crusty, then turn and spoon a little remaining butter over each. A common mistake is moving them before the crust forms, which tears the fish.
2 minStep 5: Cook 2 minutes more, until the fish is opaque all the way through and flakes easily. Serve at once with 4 lemon wedges.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 330 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does blackened redfish take?
- About 20 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of sweet paprika?
- Smoked paprika, half the amount.
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