Blackened Fish Nuggets with Remoulade Sauce

Blackened Fish Nuggets with Remoulade Sauce

My sister-in-law Deb sent us home from Portland with some of the fish we'd caught. She vacuum-sealed then froze it, and we hand carried it back home. Of course, I couldn't wait to have more of the stuff I'd caught with my bare hands (ok, I used a fishing reel) so I opted for blackened fish nuggets - an old favorite.


Over the years we've been to New Orleans many, many times and one of the places we used to go to is The Gumbo Shop. They serve blackened fish nuggets there, which is really the same thing as blackened fish, except in bite-sized pieces. While the fish nuggets are spicy deliciousness... my favorite part is dipping them in this amazing garlicky New Orleans-inspired remoulade sauce. This remoulade recipe is my rendition of the sauce they serve at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, a New Orleans' (and now global) institution. It's really, really good if I do say so myself. The secret to this spectacular condiment is using Zatarain's Creole Mustard.

Serves 4 as an appetizer

Remoulade Sauce:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Zatarain's Creole Mustard

1/2 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

6-8 dashes Tabasco sauce

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

In small bowl mix all ingredients together. Chill until ready to serve.

Fish Nuggets:

3  4-ounce fillets of rockfish (or snapper, catfish, or other similar)
pinch of kosher salt

1/4 cup blackened seasoning blend (I used Paul Prudhomme's Magic Seasoning Blend for Blackened Redfish), see Cook's note

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons clarified butter (or 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil plus 1 Tablespoon salted butter)

Heat a cast iron skillet to high heat while you're preparing the fish. Do not add clarified butter yet. Pat fillets with paper towel to dry, then lightly salt on both sides with kosher salt and cut into bite-sized pieces.

coated and ready to be pan fried

Place blackened seasoning blend and flour in large plastic ziptop bag and mix well. Add pieces of fish, seal, and shake till fully coated. Set aside.


Add clarified butter to hot pan and allow to melt and get very hot. Carefully add fish pieces and fry at high heat for about 1 minute per side in well-ventilated area. Remove and place on paper towel to absorb excess butter. Serve immediately with remoulade sauce and wedge of lemon.


Cook's note: If you don't have blackened seasoning mix, you can follow this recipe from Cooks.com to make your own.

Did I tell you I caught some great fish? ;-)

PS, This post has been entered into the GranTourismo HomeAway Holiday-Rentals travel blogging competition!