Blackened Salmon with Creole Remoulade

Name: Blackened Salmon with Creole Remoulade
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 4 salmon fillets, center-cut, skin-on, 6 oz each; 2 tbsp Hammer Blend; 2 tbsp clarified butter; 2 tbsp unsalted butter for basting; **Remoulade:**; ¾ cup mayonnaise; 2 tbsp Creole mustard (or whole-grain Dijon); 1 tbsp hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco); 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1 tsp Hammer Blend; 1 tbsp capers, minced; 2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced; 1 clove garlic, minced; 1 tsp horseradish (prepared)

Center-cut salmon fillets blackened hard in cast iron and served with a classic Louisiana remoulade — Hammer's Creole character finding its most natural partner.

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Five Dimensions

01The Look02The Nose03The Layer04The Touch05The Legacy

Hammer Blend Featured Blend

Seafood

Blackened Salmon with Creole Remoulade

Seasoned with Hammer Blend

Prep 10 min

Cook 10 min

Rest 3 min

Serves 4

Target Internal Temp 130–135°F (medium)

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Ingredients

4 salmon fillets, center-cut, skin-on, 6 oz each
2 tbsp Hammer Blend
2 tbsp clarified butter
2 tbsp unsalted butter for basting
**Remoulade:**
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp Creole mustard (or whole-grain Dijon)
1 tbsp hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Hammer Blend
1 tbsp capers, minced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp horseradish (prepared)

The Story

New Orleans remoulade predates the French mayonnaise version by decades — it's sharper, more assertive, built with mustard and horseradish. Hammer Blend is its natural cooking companion: both are Creole in spirit, pepper-forward, unafraid of heat. The salmon is the canvas.

Instructions

Make the Remoulade. Combine all remoulade ingredients and whisk until smooth. Taste and adjust — you're looking for a balance of richness (mayo), acid (lemon), sharpness (mustard), and heat (hot sauce and Hammer). Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before service. Can be made 3 days ahead.
Blacken the Salmon. Pat fillets completely dry. Coat flesh side (not skin) generously with Hammer Blend. Heat a cast iron skillet to very high heat. Add clarified butter. Place salmon flesh-side down in the hot pan. Press gently for full contact. Cook 4–5 minutes without moving until the crust is dark and beginning to char at the edges. Flip to skin side, add fresh butter, and cook 3–4 more minutes basting constantly. Internal temp at 130–135°F is your target for a translucent pink center.
Serve. Rest 3 minutes. Serve on a pool of remoulade with lemon wedges and a simple dressed salad alongside. The remoulade should be cool from the fridge against the hot blackened fish — temperature contrast matters here.

Pro Tips

Cook flesh-side first. The presentation side gets the crust; the skin side is just structure. Always show the crust.

Flavor Framework

Five Dimensions of Flavor

How each dimension activates in this cook

01The Look▼

Nearly-black Hammer crust on the flesh side, orange-gold skin side, sitting on a pool of pale yellow remoulade

02The Nose▼

Cayenne and paprika carbonized to their most concentrated form, lemon brightness cutting through the char smoke

03The Layer▼

Bitter char first, then salmon's natural fat richness, then the Creole heat building in the back of the throat, cooled by the creamy remoulade

04The Touch▼

The crust provides crunch before the salmon flesh gives way — texturally satisfying in a way that un-crusted salmon never achieves

05The Legacy▼

This is Creole cooking translated to the backyard. The technique is the same as any French Quarter kitchen; the blend connects it to the Mississippi Delta tradition