Most dishes have an uncertain provenance, but blackened fish has a single inventor: New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme. The butter and spices in the dish draw from Cajun cuisine, but the technique is modern. Blackened fish takes its name from the deep color of the seared surface. Despite its dark crust of spices, the flesh does not burn. You can blacken many cuts of fish, but snapper's firm flesh is ideal for the technique.
