Recipe: Blackened Chicken, Jambalaya Fettuccine for Frissy.

Blackened Chicken

2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3/4 pound sweet butter
1 package fettuccini, prepared according to box directions

Chicken breast or deboned thigh meat should be pounded to 1/2 inch in thickness and sould have no skin. Let chicken come to room temperature before blackening. Thoroughly combine (except butter) the seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over very high heat until it is extremly hot Heat serving plates in a 250xF oven. Just before cooking each piece of chicken, dip it in the melted butter so that both sides are well coated, then spinkle each fillet evenly with the seasoning mix, using about a heaping 1/2 teaspoon on each,and patting wth your hands. If you lay fillet on a plate or other surface to season it make sure the surface is warm so the butter won't congeal and stick to the surface instead of to the meat. Immediately place the fillet skinned side down in the hot skillet, making sure all meat folds are opened up and the meat is lying flat. Pour about 1 teaspoon butter on top of the fillet (be careful as butter may flame up). If you cook more than one fillet at a time, place each fillet in the skillet before buttering and seasoning another one. Cook uncovered over the same high heat until the underside forms a crust, about 2 min. The time will vary according to the thickness of the fillets and the heat of the skillet. Turn the fillets over and pour about 1teaspoon more melted butter on top of each fillet. Cook just until meat is cooked through, about 2 min. more. Serve the chicken fillets crustier side up while piping hot. Serve them over the fettuccinis & clean the skillet where you cooked the chicken with some white wine & a little bit of cream. Serve the sauce over the blackened chicken & fettuccini's.

Jambalaya Fettuccine Recipe

1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp onion powder
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 3/4 pound)
1/2 pound medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 box (12 ounces) spinach and plain fettuccine blend
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound smoked kielbasa, cut into small chunks
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 small bell pepper, sliced
1 small white onion, sliced in small pieces
1-1/2 cups chicken broth, divided
2 Tbsp white wine

Make a Cajun seasoning blend by combining the salt, white pepper, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder and onion powder in a small bowl.

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Use about one-third seasoning blend to coat the chicken pieces. In another bowl, sprinkle another one-third of the spice blend over the shrimp. Start the pasta cooking according to package directions.

While the fettuccine cooks, heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan or skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, saute the chicken in the pan for about 2 minutes or until chicken starts to turn brown. Add the shrimp to the pan with the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the chicken and shrimp have been seared, pour the contents of the pan onto a plate or into a bowl (separate the chicken and shrimp as they will be added back to the pan at different stages).

Put the pan back over the high heat and add the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil to the pan. Add the kielbasa, tomato, pepper, and onion. Sprinkle on the remaining spice blend and saute for about 5 minutes or until veggies begin to soften and turn dark brown.

Add the chicken back to the skillet and pour 3/4 cup of the chicken broth in the pan. Cook over high heat until the broth has been reduced to just about nothing. Add the remaining 3/4 cup of broth and shrimp to the pan, stirring constantly and scraping the blackened bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the broth a bit more, then turn the heat down to low. Stir the wine into the pan and simmer over low heat for 2 more minutes.

Drain fettuccine and spoon onto plates. Top with Jambalaya.

Yield: 8 servings