The blackening method of cooking seafood is attributed to the New Orleans Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme. Simply put, Chef Paul discovered that a combination of butter, sugar, and spices applied to fish (or meat) and seared on a very hot surface would produce a unique delicious charred spicy crust on whatever protein you’re cooking. Quickly adopted by other chefs in the 1980s, blackened seafood like Red Fish and scallops became signature dishes of southern Louisiana cooking. Like any successful dish, blackened fish and shellfish soon started appearing on the menus of restaurants nationally and the rest is culinary history y’all. The blackening method creates a lot of smoke, so plan on doing your blackening outside on your grill. Don’t be intimidated by the blackening method, it’s actually very easy once you get past the problem of lots of smoke. I use an old beat-up cast iron skillet designated just for my grill. Problem solved. Tangy Mango Salsa naturally compliments the spicy richness of Blackened Salmon. Try fresh Pineapple Salsa or peach salsa if you don’t like or don’t have access to ripe mangos. Enjoy !

INGREDIENTS

• ¾ pound of salmon fillet cut in two pieces (Faroe Island salmon is excellent)

• 1-2 tablespoons melted butter

• Blackening Spice (you can also buy blackening spice at many local markets)

  2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
  1 tablespoons salt
  2 tablespoons garlic powder
  2 teaspoons black pepper
  1 teaspoon white pepper
  1 tablespoon onion powder
  ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  1 tablespoon dried oregano
  1 tablespoon dried thyme

  Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. A spice grinder is helpful. Keep in a tightly closed container with your other spices.

• Mango Salsa
  2 ripe Honey Ataulfo mangos, peeled, pitted, diced (you can sub pineapple or peaches)
  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  2 tablespoons chopped red onion
  2-3 tablespoons chopped sweet Red Pepper and Cubanelle pepper if available
  1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  2 teaspoons minced seeded serrano or jalapeño chili
  1 teaspoon grated lime peel
  2 tablespoons olive oil

  Mix the ingredients well and allow to sit for at least a half-hour for the flavors to meld.

PREPARATION
While you prepare the salmon, pre-heat a cast-iron skillet or other heavy bottom skillet. The blackening method produces a lot of smoke. If you want to avoid setting off the fire alarms in your house, pre-heat the skillet for at least 5-10 minutes on a hot grill and cook the salmon outdoors.

1. Prepare the salsa so it can rest while you cook the salmon.

2. Rinse the salmon and pat dry.

3. Brush the salmon flesh with melted butter and sprinkle on a generous amount of blackening spice. Don’t bother with butter and spice on the skin side of the fillet.

4. Once your skillet is very hot, place the salmon spice-side down, close the grill and cook for three minutes without moving the salmon fillets. Gently, turn over the fillets and cook covered for another 3 minutes or until the flesh flakes easily with a fork.

5. Top the blackened fillets with mango salsa and serve with side dishes of your choice. A simple green salad or steamed vegetables makes this an easy and delicious meal.

Wine pairing: a dry Riesling, Gerwitztraminer, Viognier or Chenin Blanc would pair with the rich spiciness of this dish. You could also try an Albariño. The beer of your choice would also work.