Got a kitchen exhaust fan or can you cook outdoors in any way? If so, blackened fish. Orange roughy stands this treatment to excellent effect, but any particularly firm-fleshed fillets can do.
But the method is exceedingly smoky so you need an efficient way to keep the kitchen clear and not set the smoke alarm off. The cast-iron frying pan is heated so much it stops smoking (it'll smoke again (a lot) when the fish fillets go in) and shows white ash on its bottom, and the cooking time is quite brief -- about a minute or two on a side. Paul Prudhomme's blackened fish seasoning mix recipe is about the only one worth using: every other one I've tried is the sorriest of pale imitations. Use the stuff Louisianans like, not the wimp-mixes. Don't be afraid to try revving an unsatisfactory mix with some cayenne. You literally can't get the seasoning mix or the skillet too hot for this one.
The fillets get brushed or dipped in melted butter (not margarine!) and hand-sprinkled with the blackened-fish seasoning first on the first side to cook, then while the first side is cooking upon the top side, a quick sear either side, then out onto a plate where they may be kept warm until serving. You sort of need an assembly line setup to prevent fumbles.
The dish is zippy enough to go with a zinfandel or a lightbodied red wine, but you may prefer a robust beer instead. For vegetables, a green salad, and slices of robust-flavored wholegrain bread and butter. Simple, powerful, macho, and thoughtful too.
A rundown on the technique -- read this first.
Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish
The seasoning mix, with both paprika and cayenne -- you may prefer this mix instead of the milder one above. For a given value of "mild..."
