When I was in University, I walked past this book sale happening in the plaza and I picked up this "Cajun Cooking" book for about 5 dollars. Turns out, this no-name cook book would provide me with endless culinary possibilities from an area I am very much interested in. There is something about Southern cooking that simply appeals to the palate - my roommate would say it's the butter - but there's no denying it. Cajun style Southern cooking is just plain GOOD.
Today I picked up a fresh little piece of trout fillet for about 6$ - and I knew right away what I was going to do with it: BLACKENED FISH. Blackened fish is traditionally done in a fry pan, but there's reason you can't adapt it to your grill. The rub itself is simple, so I just made a little "boat" of tinfoil for the fillet so it wouldn't stick to the grill - most fish will, so either use the tinfoil, or get yourself a grill rack. This will help with sticking and also very useful for grilling veggies!
Ted's Mother's Day Tip of the Week
This time of year is all about the side dishes. Today I picked up some plain old green waxy beans, and I quickly remembered my Mom's old trick for making plain beans suddenly awesome: browned almond slices. This is for the gentlemen trying to impress the ladies. so listen up! If you wanna make a boring side into an impressive dish - all you need is some nuts and a fry pan. Turn the pan on MED heat and quickly "fry" the nuts until brown (DO NOT WALK AWAY, this only takes a few seconds). Serve the browned nuts mixed lightly with the steamed beans, you can add S&P to taste, but I'd stay away from adding any more oil.
Blackened Trout
Oregano
Thyme
Dried Basil
Cayenne pepper (about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp)
Lots of Paprika
Onion powder
Black pepper
Melted butter
Add about 1 tsp of each dry ingredient and mix in a bag or in bowl. Brush the fish with the melted butter (I also brushed the tinfoil). Put the fillet skin side down in your little tinfoil boat and coat well with the rub. Grill using indirect LOW heat (about 350-400 degrees should be plenty) for about 10-15 minutes depending on its size and thickness, flip once to really sear in that goodness!
Enjoy!
Labels: Dry Rub, Fish, Sides
