Blackened Chicken
Servings: 8
16 3 oz skinless chicken breast
2 Tbsp salt
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp white pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp gound cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
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.
Note: 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.