Problems with Blackened Tilapia

emmagee

I tried blackening some fish tonight for the first time, I used Tilapia and followed the directions both on the forum and in Chef Paul's Louisiana Kitchen. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either, I know blackening is basically burning, but the fish turned out too burned. I had my skillet gray in color and water beads would dance on it, dome temp was about 525 and I cooked the Tilapia 2 mins per side.

I am guessing I maybe cooked to too long per side, may 1.5 mins would be more appropriate? I know CHef Paul says your skillet can't be too hot for this, so I'm guessing that wasn't my problem. If not too long per side any other ideas what I should change next time?

Thanks for any tips/advice!

Panhandle Smoker

Yep 60-90 seconds a side should do it and with dome open. You want a tad of oil or butter in the pan almost hot enough to combust when you put the fish in. Here is a good tutorial.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCrj0Mqu66M

emmagee

Thanks Panhandle! I put a bit of butter in the skillet before putting the filets in, and it definitely combusted! I had watched the video yesterday and thought I followed it pretty closely, but guess I just went too long per side. I also through four scallops in the pan and they were great!

Panhandle Smoker

It shouldnt taste burnt. It is mostly the season that turns black. If it smokes like crazy when you put the fish in you are doing it right.

Panhandle Smoker

When you have the CI that hot it doesn't take long to be a disaster. Practice makes perfect. My first year in Louisiana 22 years ago, I had always heard about Blackened Red fish. Thought I would try it. What I didn't hear was don't do it inside. :huh: :cheer: :cheer: :cheer:

Panhandle Smoker

One more thing the thinner the filet the less time it takes. 60-90 seconds is for Red fish. Talapia is usually a much thinner filet.

Car Wash Mike

Like I said in my post below. I don't subscribe to hotter the better for blackening. I used the spider, dome temp was 400. Sprayed it with Pam. I also, like my butter to set up before cooking.

Mike

Mike in Abita

When it comes to blackenning the trick is in the timing. If the filets are a 1/2" thick then no longer than 45 seconds a side. 3/4 to 1" then 90 secs a side. Any thicker, then I just grill it.

DrZaius

emmagee wrote:

I know blackening is basically burning, but the fish turned out too burned.

Blackening is not burning of the meat whether it is beef or pork or fish. It is however the burning of the seasoning that your meat is coated with. Some peeps that I know thought the same and burned the hell out of their food and they hated it. Coat you meat well with your seasonings of choice THEN blacken.

JohnB

I "blacken" my fish directly on the grill, no skillet, so I guess it isn't really blackened. I get the dome up to 650 and do about 60-90 seconds a side using the blackened seasoning recipe from the Joy of Cooking, which has some crazy rub recipes, by the way.

emmagee

Mike in Abita wrote:

When it comes to blackenning the trick is in the timing. If the filets are a 1/2" thick then no longer than 45 seconds a side. 3/4 to 1" then 90 secs a side. Any thicker, then I just grill it.

Good to know, these were 1/2" or so, so I went way to long ant 2 min/side. Thanks for the info!

Misippi Egger

My first try at blackening fish was a thick cut of tilapia. I asked the fish monger for whatever he had that was an inch thick. I watched the video of Frank and I believe he mentions the filets are 3/4 -1 inch thick. As I watched him cook, I watched the timer on the video playback and it appeared to me that he cooked it about 1 min 15 sec per side. SOoo that is what I did. He also used a dry skillet for the reasons I stated in an earlier post.

Since then I have cooked blackened redfish twice. The redfish was thick and I turned after 75 seconds. At the end of the second 75 sec. I pushed into the thickest part and it was not done, so I flipped it again and left another 30-45 sec. All three cooks turned out perfect !

1/2 thin filets would definitely cook much faster at that temp. From this little bit of experience, I think tilapia seems to be less dense than redfish and therefore cooks a little faster.

Hoss

I cooked blackened Tilapia last week.One of my best cooks yet.I olive oiled the fillets.seasonded heavily.Put a cast iron skillet on the LGE pre-heated to 500.Dropped in a pat-1T butter then the fillets.45-60 seconds MAX.OMG it was GOOOO-OOOD!!!