My in-laws are very colorful and amazing people. One of the things that I find so amazing is that virtually all of them are self employed. Yup! This even goes back to my huband’s granddad and mamaw. They were both immigrants from Croatia and he was a shrimper.
This entrepreneurial spirit carried on to my mother-in-law’s brother and sister. They opened “Mary Mahoney’s Old French House” in 1962, a 5 star seafood restaurant in Biloxi, Mississippi. Yup, an amazing restaurant that 50 years later is still opened and is truly amazing. You can learn more about it HERE.
All three of my kids love saying that there’s a 5 star restaurant in our family. Of course, it isn’t “OUR” family’s restaurant but it is in the family. It was at the French House that my kids first tried gumbo. Well, their love affair with cajun food began with their first spoon of this amazing soup. It is in honor of this wonderful restaurant that I’d like to share with you my recipe for Blackening Seasoning: my cajun go-to spice blend.
Make Your Own Blackening Seasoning
Ingredients:
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp cayenne pepepr
- 1 tsp black peppercorns (or ground black pepper)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp white peppercorns (or ground white pepper)
Directions:
Measure out all your ingredients. Then place them in a spice grinder, a coffee grinder or a mortar and pestle and grind until your peppercorns are pulverized.
Store your freshly ground blackening seasoning in a jar with a tight fitting lid in a cool dark place.
Now you may be wondering how to use this spice blend. It’s a great way add a little kick to almost any (savory) dish. Here are a few ways I used this flavorful seasoning blend.
- sprinkle on freshly sauteed shrimp or scallops
- coat chicken or steak fish with blackening seasoning before cooking
- add 1-2 tsp of blackening seasoning to alfredo sauce to add some kick to your fettucini
- add some to your basic vegetable soup to give it cajun kick
The black pepper, white pepper, and cayenne all add heat so if you want a milder seasoning, just reduce the amount of these three spices.
I’ll see you at 7:00 pm for some more kitchen fun! In the meantime, why don’t you stop by MySpiceSage (my all time favorite spice company) and check out all their spices! They even have a 10% and 15% off special going on now that you won’t want to miss out on!
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