Recipe Blackened Red Fish

ElizabethB

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Red Fish (Red Drum) is indigenous to the warm Gulf waters. It is most abundant in the coastal marshes. It can be found on the East Coast because of the influence of the Gulf Stream.
Not to be confused with Red Snapper. The identifying feature is a black dot on the tail. Some Red Fish will have multiple black dots on the tail and body.
I hesitated about posting this recipe. I am not a fan of blackened anything. I am not a fan of lots of heat. I decided to post this recipe because it is thought of as a classic Louisiana dish.
Chef Paul Prudhomme achieved national fame with his Blackened Red Fish and Turducken (a hen stuffed into a duck, stuffed into a turkey). Chef Paul came out of no where with no culinary education. He liked to cook and he liked to eat what he cooked. He had several failed restaurants prior to becoming the first American-born executive chef at Commander's Palace in New Orleans - 1975. He developed seasoning mixes which he gave away to friends and clients. In 1979 he and Kay - his future wife - opened K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in the French Quarter. Chef Paul published cookbooks and hosted cooking shows. His seasoning mixes and smoked meats are still available on line.
His recipe and technique for Blackened Redfish was so popular that overfishing endangered the species. Both Louisiana and Texas imposed strict catch limits for both commercial and game fishing of Red Fish.
Today's culinary history less is over. Time for the recipe.
I did not order Chef Paul's seasoning mix. It is easy to reproduce from your spice cabinet. I did follow his technique.
A WORD OF CUTION: If you have a gas grill with a side burner cook outside. If you cook indoors put your vent fan on high, open windows and doors and put a fan at your back to blow the fumes away from you. The fish is cooked in a very hot skillet. The fumes from the seasoning mix hitting the hot skillet will make you cry and cough. Turn off the smoke alarm.
INGREDIENTS
Red Fish Filets. I had four filets 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. You can use any firm white fish. Delicate, flaky fish will not work.
Seasoning Mix
1 TBSP Smoked Paprika
2 1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt
1Tsp. Onion Powder
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Cayenne
3/4 Tsp. Ground White Pepper
3/4 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp. dried Thyme
1/2 Tsp. dried Oregano
1 1/2 cups Melted Butter
METHOD
Mix all of the seasoning ingredients together
Pat the fish dry then brush with melted butter
Sprinkle both sides of the filets with the seasoning mix. Press the seasoning into the flesh.
Heat a dry cast iron skillet - HOT - 600 degrees F
The skillet will smoke.
Place the filets in the skillet. Do not crowd. Stand back.
Cook for a couple of minutes, Flip. Cook for another couple of minutes. Repeat. The fish should be flaky and moist. Do not overcook. Brush with butter and top with fresh parsley or scallions for serving.

Filets on the half shell
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I removed the shell from the fish but lost the picture.

Seasoning

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Dinner

50938


I added Sour Cream to my fish to cut the heat.

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The seasoning mix can be used to blacken any protein - shrimp, chicken, pork chops, steak. The cooking time needs to be adjusted for the protein.
 
I'm with you on blackened fish. It's good, but it packs a punch that can be overwhelming. But, a lot of people like it. I like both Red Snapper and Redfish -- but Snapper is my favorite. We used to go out and catch it around the oil rigs around 50-miles out in the Gulf.

Good choice for representing yet another style of Louisiana cooking! :thumbsup:

CD
 
Chef Paul Prudhomme achieved national fame with his Blackened Red Fish and Turducken (a hen stuffed into a duck, stuffed into a turkey). Chef Paul came out of no where with no culinary education. He liked to cook and he liked to eat what he cooked. He had several failed restaurants prior to becoming the first American-born executive chef at Commander's Palace in New Orleans - 1975. He developed seasoning mixes which he gave away to friends and clients. In 1979 he and Kay - his future wife - opened K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen in the French Quarter. Chef Paul published cookbooks and hosted cooking shows. His seasoning mixes and smoked meats are still available on line.
His recipe and technique for Blackened Redfish was so popular that overfishing endangered the species. Both Louisiana and Texas imposed strict catch limits for both commercial and game fishing of Red Fish.
Today's culinary history less is over. Time for the recipe.
I did not order Chef Paul's seasoning mix. It is easy to reproduce from your spice cabinet. I did follow his technique.
A WORD OF CUTION: If you have a gas grill with a side burner cook outside. If you cook indoors put your vent fan on high, open windows and doors and put a fan at your back to blow the fumes away from you. The fish is cooked in a very hot skillet. The fumes from the seasoning mix hitting the hot skillet will make you cry and cough. Turn off the smoke alarm.
INGREDIENTS
Red Fish Filets. I had four filets 1 1/2 to 2 lbs. You can use any firm white fish. Delicate, flaky fish will not work.
Seasoning Mix
1 TBSP Smoked Paprika
2 1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt
1Tsp. Onion Powder
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Cayenne
3/4 Tsp. Ground White Pepper
3/4 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp. dried Thyme
1/2 Tsp. dried Oregano
1 1/2 cups Melted Butter
METHOD
Mix all of the seasoning ingredients together
Pat the fish dry then brush with melted butter
Sprinkle both sides of the filets with the seasoning mix. Press the seasoning into the flesh.
Heat a dry cast iron skillet - HOT - 600 degrees F
The skillet will smoke.
Place the filets in the skillet. Do not crowd. Stand back.
Cook for a couple of minutes, Flip. Cook for another couple of minutes. Repeat. The fish should be flaky and moist. Do not overcook. Brush with butter and top with fresh parsley or scallions for serving.

Filets on the half shell
View attachment 50936

I removed the shell from the fish but lost the picture.

Seasoning

View attachment 50937

Dinner

View attachment 50938

I added Sour Cream to my fish to cut the heat.

View attachment 50939

The seasoning mix can be used to blacken any protein - shrimp, chicken, pork chops, steak. The cooking time needs to be adjusted for the protein.
Did you ever notice that Dom Deluise looks like he could be Paul Prodhomme's twin brother? On doing a quick Google, apparently I am not the only one who thought so...are either of them still alive I wonder?

Images for paul prudhomme and dom deluise
paul prudhomme and dom deluise - Google Search
Image result for paul prudhomme and dom deluise
Image result for paul prudhomme and dom deluise
Image result for paul prudhomme and dom deluise

Image result for paul prudhomme and dom deluise
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Image result for paul prudhomme and dom deluise
 
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Oh it is soooo good. I like it broiled with lemon or baked with a light crackermeal herbed crust also.
 
Did you ever notice that Dom Deluise looks like he could be Paul Prodhomme's twin brother? On doing a quick Google, apparently I am not the only one who thought so...are either of them still alive I wonder?

They have both passed on. But, they do look alike.

CD
 
we sometimes get red drum up this way - per our fish monger, it's so good the locals eat it all....
our local shop (he's got 3-4 more tables, but you get the idea....):
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