Cajun Blackening Seasoning

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium mixing bowl
• •Wire whisk
• •Clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid (8-ounce size works well)
• •Measuring spoons

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the dried herbs

   Measure your thyme and oregano into your palm and rub them between your hands over the mixing bowl, crushing the leaves as fine as you can. This releases the essential oils trapped inside those dried leaves. You should smell them immediately, that earthy, almost medicinal perfume that defines Louisiana cooking. If your herbs smell like nothing, they're too old. Throw them out and buy fresh.

   Dried herbs lose potency after about six months. Date your jars when you buy them. Good spices make good food.
2. 2

   Combine the paprikas

   Add both paprikas to a medium mixing bowl. The sweet Hungarian provides the deep red color and mild, fruity backbone. The smoked paprika adds that whisper of woodfire that makes people ask what your secret is. Whisk them together until the color is uniform, no streaks of light or dark.

3. 3

   Build the heat layers

   Add the cayenne, black pepper, and white pepper. This is where you can adjust to your taste. The measurements I've given you produce serious heat, the kind that makes you reach for your beer. For a milder blend, cut the cayenne in half. You can always add more later, but you can't take it out. Whisk everything together thoroughly.

   White pepper hides in there, building heat you don't see coming. It's essential to the authentic flavor, so don't skip it.
4. 4

   Add aromatics and salt

   Whisk in the garlic powder, onion powder, and the crushed herbs you prepared. Add the salt last. The salt amount is conservative because you'll likely season your protein separately before applying the blend. Taste a tiny bit on your fingertip. It should be aromatic first, then warm, then hot. The heat should build, not attack.

5. 5

   Final blend and storage

   Give everything one final, thorough whisking for at least thirty seconds. You want every pinch to contain the same balance of flavors. Transfer to a clean, dry jar with a tight-fitting lid. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the spice blend before sealing. This protects it from air and keeps the volatile oils from escaping.

   Label your jar with the date. Homemade spice blends stay vibrant for about three months, then the flavors start fading.

Chef Tips

• •The quality of your paprika matters more than anything else in this blend. Seek out Hungarian sweet paprika from a spice shop with good turnover, not something that's been sitting on a grocery shelf for two years. Fresh paprika should smell sweet and slightly fruity, with a deep brick-red color.
• •For blackening, the technique is as important as the seasoning. Dip your protein in melted butter, coat generously with the spice blend, then cook in a screaming hot cast iron skillet. The butter and spices should smoke immediately. That's not burning. That's flavor.
• •This blend works on everything: redfish, catfish, chicken breasts, pork chops, shrimp, even vegetables. At Lagniappe, we blacken green tomatoes in the summer. Trust me on that one.
• •Make a double or triple batch if you cook Cajun food regularly. Having it ready in your pantry means weeknight blackened chicken is twenty minutes away.

Advance Preparation

• •The blend is ready to use immediately after mixing, but the flavors marry and mellow slightly after 24 hours.
• •Stored in an airtight container away from heat and light, this seasoning keeps its full potency for about 3 months. After that, you'll need to use more to get the same impact.
• •For gift-giving, fill small jars and include a card with blackening instructions. People will love you for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 2g)