Blackening is a cooking technique used in the preparation offish and other foods. Often associated withCajun cuisine, this technique was invented and popularized bychefPaul Prudhomme.[1] The food is dipped in melted butter and then sprinkled with a mixture ofherbs andspices, usually some combination ofthyme,oregano,chili pepper,peppercorns,salt,garlic powder, andonion powder.[2] It is then cooked in a very hotcast-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 forredfish (Red drum),[3] the same method of preparation can be applied to other types of fish as well as proteins such assteak,chickencutlets, ortofu.
