Target hybrid stripers this month whenever the sun is playing hard to get.
Kevin Beasley of Ruston was reared in Slidell down in redfish country. He loved to catch redfish, and he also loved them on the table.
“To me, there is nothing in the world more delicious than blackened redfish,” said Beasley. “After bringing home some of the hybrid stripers we caught in Lake Claiborne, I decided to try my hand at preparing them the same way as I used to do redfish.”
Here’s how he does it:
“First, remove the fillet from the fish; then remove the skin. The next step is different for hybrids since they have a blood line running laterally along the sides. Using a sharp knife, completely remove this blood line.
“Fire up your burner, and get your iron skillet as hot as possible. While it’s heating, brush each fillet with salted butter on both sides. Sprinkle the fillets with blackening seasoning — I use Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blend.
“Place fillets in a hot skillet, and cook one minute on each side for fillets ½-inch thick; two minutes for those up to an inch thick.
“Blackened redfish spoiled me, and while blackened hybrids may not have quite the quality of redfish, they’re delicious and that’s about the only way I cook them.”