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Grilling Blackened Fish, Meat, and Poultry
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to a quick-cooking process developed by New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme. Blackening produces a peppery black crust, while searing in all the juices and flavor, which makes it a great choice for the grill.
Blackened meat can be served with a variety of side dishes and made with all kinds of meat or poultry. As long as the meat is relatively thin and has the same consistency, it should be a good candidate for blackening.
Blackening fish is a technique that can also be used for seafood. It can also be used for vegetables.
In order to achieve the perfect blackened food, you'll need the following four elements:
- A zesty mixture of pepper and other seasonings
- A relatively thin, uniform piece of food
- Melted butter -- lots of it
- A very hot fire to seal in the juices and blacken the crust.
- Mix blackening spices in a small bowl or use a commercial blackening mix sold in your local supermarket.
© 2006 Publications International, Ltd.
One classic mix includes paprika,
garlic salt, thyme, and three types
of ground pepper: white, black, and red. - Prepare barbecue grill for direct cooking.
- Melt butter in a microwave-safe pie plate.
- Dip meat (4 to 6 ounces each) into melted butter; shake to remove excess.
© 2006 Publications International, Ltd.
After you've melted the butter in a
microwave-safe plate, coat both sides
evenly with melted butter. - Sprinkle blackening mix on food and rub in well on both sides. At this point, some chefs dip into the melted butter again before grilling.
© 2006 Publications International, Ltd.
Use your fingertips to rub in the spices.
Place the meat on very hot preheated grid -- this causes flare-ups and some pretty spicy fumes, so be careful.Hot, Hot, Hot!- Regular charcoal doesn't burn hot enough to grill blackened foods.
- Use a hardwood charcoal. It takes longer to heat up, but results in a much hotter fire.
- If hardwood charcoal is not available, scatter dry hardwood mesquite or hickory chunks over the hot fire to ratchet up the temperature.
- Grill quickly, on a covered grill, over very hot coals 4 to 6 minutes or until tested with a fork, turning halfway through grilling time.
Learn what to do with grilled pork in the next section.
