Blackening Fish and Chicken

Blackening is a Cajun method from Paul Prudhomme's kitchen. Dip a thin fillet in melted butter, then press it into a spice mix of paprika, cayenne, garlic, onion, thyme and pepper. Heat a cast iron pan as hot as you can get it, for five minutes or more. Lay the fish in and cook about two minutes a side. The butter and spices char into a dark crust while the inside stays moist. It makes a lot of smoke, so open a window or cook on a grill side burner.