Blackened Chicken Recipe

How to make it

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• Trim off excess fat. Pound each breast or leg-thigh fillet to 1/2
• inch thick. Let the chicken come to room temperature before
• blackening.
• Thoroughly combine the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat until it is
• extremely hot and just short of the point at which you see white
• ash or a white spot forming in the skillet bottom, about 8 minutes.
• (the time will vary according to the intensity of the heat source.)
• Heat the serving plates in a 250F oven.
• Just before cooking each piece of chicken, dip it in the melted
• butter so that both sides are well coated, then sprinkle each fillet
• evenly with the seasoning mix, using about a rounded 1/2 teaspoon
• on each, and patting it in with your hands. (If you lay the fillet
• on a plate or other surface to season it, be sure the surface is
• warm so the butter won't congeal and stick to the surface instead
• of to the meat. Wipe the surface clean after seasoning each fillet.
• Use any remaining seasoning mix in another recipe. Immediately
• place the fillet skinned side down in the hot skillet, making sure
• all meat folds are opened up and the meat is lying flat. Pour
• about 1 teaspoon butter on the top of the fillet (be careful, as
• the butter may flame up). If you cook more that 1 fillet at a
• time, place each fillet in the skillet before buttering and seasoning
• another one.
• Cook uncovered over the same high heat until the underside forms
• a crust, about 2 minutes. (The time will vary according to the
• thickness of the fillets and the heat of the skillet or fire;
• watch the meat and you'll see a white line coming up the side as
• it cooks.) Turn the fillets over and pour about 1 teaspoon more
• melted butter on top of each. Cook just until meat is cooked
• through, about 2 minutes more.
• Serve the chicken fillets crustier side up while piping hot. Clean
• the skillet after cooking each batch and repeat the blackening
• procedure with the remaining chicken fillets. To serve, place 2
• breast fillets or 1 leg-thigh fillet on each heated serving plate.
• If you use a large serving platter, do not stack the fillets.