The blackened cooking technique was invented by chef Paul Prudhomme, and this Cajun style is a go-to dish on many camp outings…blackened salmon is especially good. My love for this spicy crusted food couldn’t have anything to do with my southern raising…nah.

Cooking blackened fish is easy…well, the ingredients are simple…but cooking it to perfection is somewhat of a knack, and certainly an outdoor gig. It’s possible to blacken fish indoors, but I can’t recommend it. You see, cooking anything blackened in a house is usually forbidden right up there with bait and scent storage in the house fridge.

But, if you insist on blackening fish inside your home, the first step is to remove the batteries from your smoke detectors. Place your neighbors on alert, advise the fire department to ignore all calls regarding your residence, open all windows, and turn on all house fans.

Don’t use those fancy, light-weight, non-stick kitchen pans. This style of cooking is far too hot for such wimpy cookware. The only way to prepare blackened fish is to use a cast iron skillet.

Before cooking, coat the skillet with cooking oil. Then, heat the skillet hot, teetering on the edge of smoking the oil. Don’t be afraid though, error on the side of hot…when in doubt, smoke that oil! You can always drizzle a little more oil in. Many folks say if it’s not smoking, you’re not doing it right. Just don’t catch it on fire.

For fish preparation, coat the meat with melted butter. I slightly melt the butter in a small ramekin and use a baster to coat the fish. Next, generously sprinkle on your Cajun seasonings which will adhere to the butter coat, and place in the hot cast iron skillet.

While cooking the first side, baste the top side with more butter and seasoning before turning. Cook both sides until blackened – depending on the thickness, about 5 minutes each side. Again, it’s somewhat of a knack, but it only takes a couple of tries to master perfection.

Serve with anything really, but some of my favorite sides with this style of cooking are long-grain wild rice and veggies such as grilled asparagus, squash, and corn. Serve with cornbread (not corn muffins…cornbread).