Blackening (cooking) Blackening (cooking) Blackening is a cooking technique used in the preparation of fish and other foods. Often associated with Cajun cuisine, this technique was popularized by chef Paul Prudhomme. The food is dipped in melted butter and then dredged in a mixture of herbs and spices, usually some combination of thyme, oregano, chili pepper, peppercorns, salt, garlic powder and onion powder. It is then cooked in a very hot cast-iron skillet. The characteristic brown-black color of the crust results from a combination of browned milk solids from the butter and charred spices. While the original recipe calls for redfish, the
Jerk (cooking) Amerindians in the Caribbean. Nowadays, the smoky taste of the meat is achieved using various alternative cooking methods, including the use of modern wood burning ovens. The meat is normally, but not limited to, chicken or pork, and the main ingredients of the spicy jerk marinade sauce are allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. Jerk cooking is popular in Caribbean/West Indian communities throughout North America and Western Europe. The word "jerk" is said to come from "charqui", a Spanish term of Quechua origin for jerked or dried meat, which eventually became the word "jerky" in English. "Jerk" is also derived from