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Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Redfish

5.0(293)

The chef Paul Prudhomme's recipe for blackened redfish once became a national craze. Mr. Prudhomme dipped redfish fillets in butter, dusted them with ground cayenne and a mix of dried herbs, and seared them in a red-hot iron skillet until a black crust formed. The dish became so popular that the redfish population in the Gulf of Mexico came under threat. You could use fluke, flounder or porgy, instead. Any firm white-fleshed fish will do.

by Molly O'Neill·published 1999-10-17

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Dinner, Easy, Quick, Main Course

Servings

6 servings

Total time

25 min

Calories / serving

660 kcal

Ingredients (9)

serves

1 tablespoon paprikapaprika
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher saltsalt
1 teaspoon onion powderonion-powder
1 teaspoon garlic powdergarlic-powder
1 teaspoon ground cayennecayenne
1/2 teaspoon dried thymethyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oreganooregano
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, meltedbutter
6 skinless redfish, pompano or tilefish fillets, or other firm-fleshed fish, each 8 to 10 ounces and about 1/2 inch thick

Instructions (4 steps)

01In a small bowl, combine the paprika, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, thyme and oregano. Mix well. Set aside.
02Place a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until very hot, about 10 minutes. It will get smoky, so turn on the exhaust fan and turn off the smoke detector.
03Meanwhile, pour 2 tablespoons of melted butter in each of 6 small ramekins; set aside and keep warm. Pour the remaining butter into a shallow bowl. Dip each fillet in the butter so that both sides are well coated. Sprinkle the spice mix generously and evenly on both sides of the fish, patting it on by hand.

04When the skillet is heated, place the fillets inside without crowding and top each with 1 teaspoon of melted butter. Cook, uncovered, until the underside looks charred, about 2 minutes. Turn the fillets over and again pour 1 teaspoon of butter on top; cook until done, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to warmed plates and repeat with the remaining fish. Serve immediately, with a ramekin of butter on each plate.

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.