How do cooks make spices adhere to "blackened" foods before frying them?

Question

Do they submerge the chicken or fish in olive oil before putting on the seasoning. Then, how do they prevent the blackened spice crust from falling off of the fillet's surface?

Answer 1

you just put on a heavy layer of the spice mix and let it sit a few minutes... the natural moisture causes them to adhere.

Okay... referring to Paul Prudhomme's Redfish recipe (He's the guy that started the blackened craze.) for his fish recipe he dips the fish in butter before coating.

So from the guy that started it all, he dipped his chicken or fish in butter.

I usually put a heavy coating on without the butter and it works for me. If that doesn't work, then the butter or oil coating should work. You are going down the right track in your question.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

When I blacken fish, I melt butter and rub it all over the fillet then put on the blackening seasoning. I also put butter in the pan that I'm cooking with. I don't really have a problem with the seasoning coming off, but I add more as I'm cooking if I think it needs it. Check out some recipes on-line for other ways to do it. I'm sure the food network website would have some good ones or also try epicurious.com.

Answer 4

With meats like beef or pork chops or duck especially, I make a dry rub of the spices, then score the meat with a sharp knife, just lightly making cuts into the meat, then rub it firmly into the flesh and then lightly rub with olive oil to make sure it adheres to the meat. If you rub it firmly into the flesh and not just shake it on top, the nature moistness of the meat will help it stay there.

Placing the olive oil on top will make it remain moist during cooking and stay on the meat. If you use a rub with salt in it, it will dry the meat out somewhat, so it's important to add back the oil. With duck, which is quite fatty, one should use less. Also when you do the scoring before the rub, it gets deeper into the flesh, giving a better taste, plus when you grill, sear or fry it, it will leave nice marks on the meat.

Answer 5

The best thing I have used is Konjac mixed with water. It's an Asian root which can be substituted for gelatin. I suspect that unflavored gelatin, guar gum, or agar agar would work as well. Mixed with water, it makes a flavorless and colorless glue which worked well to adhere the dry rub to the fish -- working better than butter. It is also good for lowering cholesterol and has no calories.

It also happens to work well for salting the rim of a Margaretta glass.

Answer 6

lots of chiefs use what they call an egg wash. its just dipping the meat, whatever it is, in beaten eggs before cooking. oil or butter will work, but egg washes work just as well, if not better. the only problem is.. you have to make sure the eggs doing cook independently of the meat. just add oil or butter to the eggs and your good. it works all the time, if its done right, and it isn't hard to do. just beat eggs in a bowl, and a bit of either water, milk, or oil/butter, dip the meat in it and ad the spices. let it sit for a minute then cook. that simple.

Answer 7

Use more seasonings than you'd normally need. use your hand or a spatula to mash the seasonings into the meat (both sides). DON'T SCORE THE MEAT as others have suggested, as this will give you a piece of spicy shoe leather (the juices will escape scored meat during cooking!). Lightly spray (with an oil sprayer) a healthy coating of oil on both sides of the meat. Grill or sear or broil. Bon Apetit!

Answer 8

the surface should be damp.
fry or grill on a flat grill at very high temperature.....
so it's smoking.
you will loose a bit of the seasoning but not much.

Answer 9

S.B.P it refers to standard breading procedure
1) flour
2) egg wash
3) breading or spices mixed w/ flour

Answer 10

Use a rub and just add about 3 tbs of crack pepper.