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Blackened Redfish (Catfish or Snapper)

Blackened Redfish (Catfish or Snapper) reads citrus 6.7, sourness 6.1 and fruity 5.4 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Cajun/Creole · Cajun main, about 6 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.3 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 5.7 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 8.6 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 1.3 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.0 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 4.5 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Citrus 6.7 · Sourness 6.1 · Fruity 5.4 · Richness 5.0 · Heat 3.7 · Allium 3.7 · Salinity 3.7 · Umami 3.3 · Marine & Briny 2.8 · Warm Spice 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Floral 1.4 · Bitterness 1.1 · Sweetness 1.0 · Earthy 0.9 · Smoke 0.5

What's in it (13)

• catfish fillets — 680 g
• unsalted butter — 82 g
• paprika — 30 g
• cayenne pepper — 5 g
• garlic — 5 g
• onion powder — 5 g
• thyme — 1 g
• dried leaf oregano — 1 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g
• white pepper — 1 g
• vegetable oil — 27 g
• lemon — 65 g

Time & effort: about 6 min · effort: medium

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains seafood — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Pat the fillets very dry with paper towels, then brush both sides with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter; set aside on a plate.
2. In a shallow dish, whisk together the paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper, and white pepper until no clumps remain.
3. Press each buttered fillet firmly into the spice mixture, coating both sides in an even, opaque layer — you want a real crust, not a dusting.
4. Set a cast-iron skillet over high heat until it is just smoking, about 5 minutes; this is the step that makes or breaks the dish, since a merely hot pan gives gray, sticking fish instead of a true black crust. Turn on your exhaust fan or crack a window, as there will be smoke.
5. Add the vegetable oil to the skillet, then lay in as many fillets as fit without touching, working in two batches for four fillets. Sear undisturbed until the crust is deeply blackened and releases cleanly from the pan, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Flip the fillets and drizzle the remaining 4 tablespoons melted butter over the tops as the second side sears, spooning it over the fish once or twice, until that side is blackened and the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork, 2 to 3 minutes more (internal temperature 145°F).
7. Transfer to plates, squeeze fresh lemon wedges over the top, and serve immediately while the crust is still crisp.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Cajun Blackened Catfish — Southern
• Blackened Catfish with Lemon Butter — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Blackened Catfish with Cajun Lemon Butter — Southern
• Blackened Salmon with Cajun Spice — Cajun/Creole · Cajun
• Carne de Porco à Alentejana — Portuguese

Keep reading: what citrus, sourness, fruity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.