In the eighties, chef Paul Prudhomme started a revolution that changed food in America. Among his many culinary contributions, he created a blackened redfish dish that proved so overwhelmingly popular that authorities were ultimately forced to restrict the commercial fishing of Louisiana redfish to preserve the future of the species. I don’t know about you, but none of my dishes are so good, they threaten to upset the ecosystem. Thirty years later, his Creole dishes and techniques are now an inseparable part of American cuisine; if we aren’t blackening everything that swims, walks and flies, we’re stuffing them into one another (that’s right, he created the turducken as well).

To use one of Prudhomme’s cornerstone techniques, blackening, you’ll need a some blackening spice. Butter and an extremely hot cast-iron skillet are responsible for most of the blackening, but the spices and herbs you use will determine the final flavors of your dish. There are a lot of variances in blackening spice recipes, with some being smokier or sweeter or spicier than others, but all seem to generally adhere to chef Prudhomme’s original recipe. Personally, I back off the salt and thyme a little from the more formalized versions and I tend to tweak the recipe slightly depending on the dish. For instance, I’ll add a bit of sugar for blackened salmon or cumin to pork and chicken, but overall, I think this is a pretty good base recipe to work from when your developing your own seasoning preferences.

Image: ForkingSpoon

Homemade Blackening Spice Recipe

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