Winner winner blackened chicken dinner!
This blackened chicken with sweet potato puree is one of those dishes you can make to impress your dinner guests. The combination of blackening seasoning and sweet potatoes is amazing. We gar-on-tee!
Blackening is a Cajun technique popularized by the cuisine’s most famous chef, Paul Prudhomme. Dip your protein of choice in some melted butter, rain on a seasoning mix of paprika, cayenne, black and white peppers and dried herbs, and into a hot frying pan. The result you’re looking for is a brownish-black crust of spices and browned milk fats from the butter.
We like to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, pounded out to ensure even cooking and more surface for the spice mix. You can substitute breasts, pork, beef, fish, shrimp, veggies or even tofu if you’re into that sort of thing.
Make the sweet potatoes like you would regular mashed potatoes. The only modification is the addition of a splash of maple syrup.
As we make the sweet potatoes and chicken, we like to roast another vegetable in the oven or make a quick salsa to go on top for a colorful, impressive-looking, restaurant-quality meal.
Laissez les bon temps rouler!
Blackening Seasoning
Equipment
- 1 bowl
Mise en place
- 4 T sweet paprika Or try hot or smoked paprika for extra kick
- 3 T kosher salt
- 1 T + 1 t garlic powder
- 1 T + 1 t onion powder
- 1 T cayenne Use more or less depending on spiciness preference
- 1 T fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 T white pepper
- 2 t dried oregano leaves
- 2 t dried thyme leaves
Method
- Mix well and store in an airtight container.
Sweet Potato Puree
Equipment
- 1 Large pot of boiling water
- 1 potato masher or stick blender for puréeing
Mise en place
- 6 C sweet potatoes peeled, cut into 1" cubes
- 1/4 C butter cubed, at room temperature
- 1/2 C whole milk warmed
- 2 T maple syrup
- 1 t kosher salt
- 1 t fresh cracked black pepper
Method
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the cubed potatoes for 20 minutes or until they are easy to pierce with a fork. Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and mash or puree until everything is fully incorporated and desired consistency.
Blackened Chicken Thighs
Equipment
- 1 Frying pan
- 1 Tongs
- 1 meat mallet or rolling pin
- Plastic wrap or ziploc bag
Mise en place
- 4 T butter melted
- 1/4 C blackening seasoning see recipe
- 8 boneless chicken thighs pounded flat for even cooking
Method
- Place chicken thighs between sheets of plastic wrap or in a ziploc bag and gently pound to an even thickness using a mallet or rolling pin, about 1/4".
- Dip chicken thighs in melted butter and season generously with blackening seasoning. Use more or less seasoning depending on how spicy you like it.
- Heat frying pan on medium-high heat and cook chicken thighs in two batches, about 2 minutes per side until done.
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