Blackening is a cooking technique used in the preparation of fish and other foods. Often associated with Cajun cuisine, this technique was invented and popularized by chef Paul Prudhomme. [1] The food is dipped in melted butter and then sprinkled with a mixture of herbs and spices, usually some combination of thyme, oregano, chili pepper, peppercorns, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. [2] It is then cooked in a very hot cast-iron skillet. [2] [3] The characteristic brown-black color of the crust results from a combination of browned milk solids from the butter and charred spices. [4]
While the original recipe calls for redfish ( Red drum), [3] the same method of preparation can be applied to other types of fish as well as proteins such as steak, chicken cutlets, or tofu.