Blackened cod po’ boys
A style of cooking associated with Cajun cuisine, blackening involves coating fish (in this case cod) in melted butter and spices before cooking until charred. Traditionally, the fish would be cooked in a cast-iron pan instead of on the barbecue, so feel free to do that if the weather isn’t on your side. A fish cage is useful for cooking on the barbecue but it can be cooked directly on the grill if you don’t have one.
30 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY | LC
celery 1 stick, finely chopped
yellow pepper ½, finely chopped
red onion ½ small, finely chopped
white wine vinegar 1 tsp
sugar a pinch
mayonnaise 100g
gherkins 2, finely chopped
garlic 2 cloves, crushed
lemon juice 1 tsp
skinless white fish (such as cod or haddock) 4 firm fillets butter 50g, melted
white sub rolls 4, or 1 large soft baguette cut into 4 pieces
Iceberg lettuce ¼, finely shredded
CAJUN SPICE MIX
paprika 1 tbsp
onion granules 2 tsp garlic granules 2 tsp cayenne 1 tsp
ground white pepper 2 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp
dried oregano 1 tsp
1 Combine the celery, pepper, onion, vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl, and mix well. Set aside.
2 Mix together the mayo, gherkins, garlic and lemon juice with a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside.
3 Heat a barbecue for direct cooking. For the spice mix, combine the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, white pepper, thyme, oregano and 1 tbsp of salt in a wide, shallow bowl. Dip the fish fillets in the melted butter until fully coated, then dip into the spice mixture to coat.
4 If using a fish cage, put the fish inside and secure the cage. If not, make sure the grill is clean and oil the bars using a piece of kitchen paper, cloth or a brush (don’t pour oil directly onto the grill). This will help prevent the fish from sticking.
5 Cook the fish for 5 minutes on each side or until cooked through and blackened in places – the exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fillets.
6 Split the buns, spread with the mayonnaise and add some of the lettuce and chopped salad. Top with the fish, then close the sandwiches and serve.
PER SERVING 524 kcals | fat 31.6G saturates 8.5G | carbs 26.8G | sugars 4G fibre 4.2G | protein 31.1G | salt 4.9G
cook's notes
To prepare the fish indoors, cook the fillets in a cast-iron (or other heavy-based frying) pan for a few minutes on each side, or until cooked through and blackened.