Blackened Chicken

Title:
Blackened Chicken

Yield:
8 Servings

Categories:
Cajun,
Main
Dishes,
Poultry,
Apples




Ingredients:





    16    3 oz skinless chicken breast





-------------------------------SEASONING
MIX-------------------------------


     2 tb Salt


 1 1/2 ts Garlic powder


 1 1/2 ts Ground black pepper


     1 ts White pepper


     1 ts Onion powder


     1 ts Ground cumin


   1/2 ts Gound cayenne pepper


   1/2 ts Sweet paprika



-----------------------------OTHER
INGREDIENTS-----------------------------


   3/4 lb Melted unsalted butter





 NOTE: Recipe calls for 16 (3-ounce) skinless boned chicken breasts, about


 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, or 8 (10-ounce) bone-in leg-thigh pieces, or a


 combination of these. Skin the leg-thigh pieces, then bone each piece along


 the length of the two bones, leaving meat in one piece. 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. Paul Prudhomme warns,


 "Blackening should be done either outdoors or in a commercial kitchen. The


 process creates an incredible amount of smoke that will set off your own


 and your neighbors' smoke alarms. People with really well-installed


 commercial hood vents at home have gotten away with blackening in their own


 kitchens. They are privileged! Don't push your luck."


 


 From The Prudhomme Family Cookbook Posted to EAT-L Digest by Leon & Miriam


 Posvolsky 
on Dec 18, 1997