Make a Fishmonger-inspired blackened fish sandwich without all the smoke

The blackened fish sandwich at Fishmonger is legendary.

Generously seasoned and perfectly cooked grouper fillets are layered with a creamy sauce, crisp lettuce and fragrant herbs on a tender Martin’s potato roll. It’s a perfect sandwich.

If you want that Fishmonger experience without having to leave the house, it’s possible to make a quick and easy version, even on a weeknight.

What is blackened fish?

True blackened fish is a dish developed by the New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme. It involves coating fish fillets heavily in butter and a Cajun spice blend before cooking them quickly in a searing hot skillet. The exterior of the fish is almost burned, giving it a “blackened” appearance.

Accomplishing traditional blackening at home is a challenge and creates an enormous amount of smoke. Instead, you can achieve a similar flavor by simply heavily searing well-seasoned fillets in a generous amount of oil; you won’t get that smoky flavor, but, then again, maybe you don’t want that smoke in your kitchen anyway.

Give the fish extra time on the first side for the best sear (and easier flipping)

Quick-cooking thin fish fillets can be tricky to sear on a home stovetop. On a more powerful restaurant burner, chefs can build up a lot of heat quickly, allowing fish to get a deeply browned sear on both sides without overcooking. But at home, you need a cooking method that will generate the flavor of a hard sear without the benefit of an extra-powerful stovetop.

The best way to accomplish this is to cook the fish almost entirely through on one side. This first side will develop the signature blackened crust of the traditional dish before you flip and quickly finish the cook on the second side. You’ll also get the benefit of easy monitoring. Watch the edges of the fish fillets move from translucent to opaque — flip once the cooked color almost reaches the top side of the fillet.

Blackening seasoning builds tons of flavor in a single ingredient

Look for a “blackening” seasoning mix in the spice aisle for this dish. It has similar ingredients to more commonly found Cajun seasoning, but is less spicy, allowing for the delicate fish flavor to come through. If you can’t find it, any prepared Cajun seasoning will work. Look for a brand that includes salt.

Drizzle the spice-infused cooking oil on your sandwiches

Once the fish is cooked, you’ll be left with flavorful, spice-infused cooking oil in the skillet. This oil is perfect for drizzling on the assembled sandwiches — don’t throw it away.