Blackened Redfish With Fresh Tomato Sauce - The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel

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Blackened Redfish With Fresh Tomato Sauce

The fish that sparked the craze for blackening so popular these days was the humble redfish. The waters of Lee County abound with it. Here’s a simple twist on a favorite, but with a word of warning – this recipe is best accomplished where the smoke from the searing can be easily vented.

Ingredients

For the sauce:
3 roma tomatos, diced
½ yellow onion, minced
1 tsp. chopped basil
1 tsp. chopped cilantro
juice of 1 lime
1 dash hot sauce
dash of salt
couple of turns on the peppermill

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for at least half an hour at room temperature or an hour in the fridge.

For the fish:
4 fillets of redfish
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. onion powder
1-½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. thyme
½ tsp. oregano
6 oz. butter (1-½ sticks)

Directions
1. Begin heating a heavy cast-iron skillet on high. The hotter the pan, the crispier the end product.
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Gently melt the butter in a separate pan, reserve more than half for later use.
4. Dip the fillets in the butter, coat them in the dry mix.
5. Place coated fillets in the screeching hot pan, pouring ¼ of reserved butter over each.
6. Cook amid rising smoke for just shy of two minutes. Turn and cook for another short two minutes.
7. Serve on a bed of yellow rice, or across a grilled polenta cake.
8. Spoon sauce generously on top.
9. Garnish with chopped basil and cilantro and a lime wedge.