Conference turris::cooks

Sounds a bit like the "blackened pork chops" recipe I tried (see note 148).
I didn't have a problem with clouds of smoke, but the garlic and onion in
the air just about did us all in! (It was worth it, though; go-o-o-ood!)

If you can't try the recipe outdoors, make sure the kitchen's VERY well
ventilated.

-b

   Blackened Redfish is one of the house specialties at Chef Paul 
   Prudhomme's "K-Paul's" restaurant in New Orleans.  My wife, who is a 
   native born New Orleanian who commited the cardinal sin of marrying a 
   Yankee, has had it and says it is wonderful.  The bad news is that 
   Chef Paul's book is not in our collection of N.O. recipes.  To our 
   knowledge, that is the only place the recipe has ever been published.  
   The good news is that a friend of my wife's who does own the book is 
   coming to visit us over Labor Day, so we'll make sure she brings it 
   with her.
   
   BTW - Chef Paul markets his own seasoning blends called Cajun Magic.  
   He's got one for just about every occasion.  

   	Poultry Magic
   	Seafood Magic
   	Vegetable Magic
   	Pork and Veal Magic
   
   etc., including one called Blackened Redfish Magic.  Five to one his 
   recipe calls for this.  I don't know if any of the local gourmet shops 
   or any of the new Cajun/Creole restaurants that are springing up in 
   the Boston area sell them.  Whenever we run low, my mother-in-law 
   sends us a "care package".
   
   -Dave
   

			     Blackened Redfish
			     
	o	1 lb. fresh redfish (trout, pompano or any fairly 
		fleshy, thick-cut, non-fishy-tasting fish) cut 
		into filets (about 1" thick)
		
	o	butter
	
	o	Chef Paul Prudhomme's 'Blackened Redfish Magic' 
		spice mix (still have not found out if this is 
		available locally.  My Tulane researcher is going 
		to try to scout up a list of what's in this when 
		she gets back to N.O. next week)
   
   Take empty heavy iron skillet and heat it over the highest heat for 
   10 min.
   
   Meanwhile, melt 1-2 sticks of butter in another pan.  Put fish in 
   butter then press spices into either side.
   
   Put fish into the heated skillet.  **YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD STOVE VENT**
   A filtering hood that does not exhaust to the outside may or may not 
   be enough.  
   
   Cook about 2 min./side, or until done.
   
			       Redfish Salad
   
   Take leftover blackened redfish and cut into cubes.
   
   Marinate a mixture of vegetables in your favorite marinade (Italian 
   dressing is fine).  Try broccoli, mushrooms, red onions, celery, 
   carrots, whatever...  Marinate at least 12 hrs.
   
   Mix vegs. and redfish and serve as a dinner salad over lettuce.
   
   
   Talk about good.
   
   -Dave
   

   Birthdays are wonderful things.  The best present I received this year 
   was a book:  _Chef_Paul_Prudhomme's_Louisianna_Kitchen_.  In the 
   recipe for blackened redfish, he lists the ingredientsfor the 
   seasoning mix as:

        1 tablespoon sweet paprika
        2-1/2 teaspoons salt
        1 teaspoon onion powder
        1 teaspoon garlic powder
        1 teaspoon ground red pepper (preferably cayenne)
        3/4 teaspoon white pepper
        3/4 teaspoon black pepper
        1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
        1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

   He stresses that if you don't have a commercial type vent hood for 
   your stove it will drive you out of the kitchen.  He says that for 
   outdoor cooking, a gas grill can be used, but charcoal does not get 
   hot enough.
   
   -Dave
   

re: 166.6 

I found this information in a magazine I was flipping 
through the other day:  

For a free catalog write

	K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen Catalog
	500 Mandeville Street
	New Orleans, Louisiana  70117 

or call
	1-800-654-6017 


The ad said the following can be ordered:  

	Cajun Magic Seasonings
	K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen Products 
	   (some kind of special sausages and hams)
	Louisiana Kitchen Cookbook
	Louisiana seafood
	cookware


-Barbara 

    Has anyone tried this on an outdoor grill? If so, can you put
    the meat/fish directly on the grill or should you bring your
    cast-iron pan outside? I'd really like to try this, but I'm
    not crazy about the idea of using 1-2 *sticks* of butter....
    
    

    I've had great success with blackened fish and steaks. I have referred
    to Paul Prudhomme's cookbook on cooking blackened recipies on a grill, 
    he claims that the grill just doesn't get hot enough. I have
    never tried a grill.
    
    I use only a small amount of butter and the rest peanut oil. I
    melt enough butter to moisten the surface of the fish, just enough
    to get the spices to stick. Heat up a cast iron pan at least 20
    minutes, just before putting the fish in the pan I use a brush and
    oil the pan with peanut oil and the fish doesn't stick. As I turn
    it over to blacken the other side I freshen the pan surface with
    a little more peanut oil. Peanut oil can withstand a very high
    temperatures and it's better for you then butter. 
    
    
    
    There is a real problem in cooking blackened recipies in that there
    is a lot of smoke. I usually turn the exhaust fan on over the stove,
    open an window and use a fan to draw the smoke out of the kitchen
    and eat dinner in the living room! But it is well worth it, it is
    absolutely delicious.

    We use the Paul Prudhomme's BLackened Redfish seasoning.  We used
    to order it directly from Prudhomme thru an 800-toll free number,
    but I've seen the seasoning recently at Hampshire Farms grocery
    store on 101-A in Nashua.
    
    When we make this on our outside gas grill, we simply remove the
    grids and put our cast iron skillets right on the lava rocks.  We
    follow the suggested recipe, and do use the recommended amount of
    butter.
    
    My husband once tried to make this in our kitchen, with the stove
    fan on and a portable fan aimed at the outside open kitchen window.
    Even with all the windows open, and the fan(s) the house filled
    up with smoke.  Naturally the smoke alarms all went off and we spent
    the next hour outside.  There was so much smoke generated by this
    that we were truly in danger of suffering the consequences of smoke
    inhalation.  Be wary of trying this inside...

Paul Prudhomme's Louisiana Cookbook seems to be pretty widely available in
the mall bookstores, at least in New England.

Nashua, NH area residents can find the Cajun Magic seasonings at the Purity
Supreme on the corner of Spit Brook Road and the Daniel Webster Highway in
south Nashua.

Not being a fish lover, I've never tried to make blackened redfish, but its
beef counterpart, blackened steak, is one of my favorites.  The preparation is
the same--you press the seasoning mix into both sides of the steak, then fry
it in a dry, heavy pan over extremely high heat for about 4 minutes/side.
You don't need the butter because the fat on the steak provides enough grease.
The seasoning mix is in Paul Prudhomme's cookbook in the recipe on Cajun Prime
Rib.  I use the Cajun Magic Blackened Steak Magic mix.

I've had reasonable success with putting a cast iron fry pan directly on
the lava rocks in a gas grill.  However, by far the best heat source for this
dish is a 35,000 BTU Birwag gas burner.  I got mine mail order from K-Paul's
in New Orleans (see previous reply for the address and phone number).  The
Birwag unit is also excellent for Chinese stir-frying.  It's the closest thing
I've seen to the high-heat chop suey ranges they use in Chinese restaurants.

--PSW