Blackening (Cooking)

Blackening is a technique for preparing fish and other foods in which the food is dipped in melted butter, coated with a spice mixture, and then cooked in an extremely hot cast-iron skillet, producing a distinctive dark crust from browned milk solids in the butter combined with charred spices. The technique was invented and popularized by the chef Paul Prudhomme and is closely associated with Cajun cuisine. The original recipe used redfish, and the typical spice blend includes thyme, oregano, chili pepper, peppercorns, salt, garlic powder and onion powder, though the technique is now also applied to other fish as well as to steak, chicken cutlets and tofu.