Prudhomme, Paul

Paul Prudhomme (1940–) is the chef and owner of K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen in New Orleans. He became the face of Cajun cooking during the 1980s, when Cajun became widely acknowledged as one of America’s distinctive regional cuisines. A familiar national television personality, easily recognized by his formidable size and Acadian accent, Prudhomme introduced Americans to the country-cooking traditions of his native Louisiana, popularizing such dishes as gumbo, jambalaya, and dirty rice. His specialty, blackened redfish, prepared by dusting a fillet with a mix of spices and searing it in a dry, hot cast-iron skillet, was widely copied, and blackening as a cooking technique became a 1980s restaurant trend.