Tip Your Server

Did I ever tell y’all about the time I waited tables?!  Well…it wasn’t just one time.  I actually waited tables for several years…and LOVED every minute {except for those HIGHLY stressful times when I was in the weeds or forgot to put in an order for a 10 top. NOT fun.}  I’ve got nothin’ but mad respect for servers.  Even the ones that forget to refill my tea when it’s been empty for 20 minutes ;)

My most FAVORITE place to wait tables was Joe’s Crab Shack. I worked there for a long while and loved it.  The food, the people…I loved it all.  Maybe a little bit had to do with the manager letting me perform N*Sync’s “Dirty Pop” all by myself on busy Friday and Saturday nights to a packed house.  {By the way…I’m so NOT ashamed to tell you that I learned every.single.move to N*Sync’s “Dirty Pop” and wasn’t afraid to show off my skills…or lack thereof, for that matter.}  It’s no wonder it took me so long to find a husband.  But I digress…

One of the best things about working at Joe’s was the food…in particular, their crawfish etoufee.  When I graduated from college, I spent about 6 months working full time at Joe’s until I got my first teaching job.  I ate almost every meal…except for breakfast {which was usually 3 Red Bulls}…at Joe’s.  Crawfish etoufee was in my weekly…if not daily…rotation of meals.  Oh, how I LOVED it.  SO, if you know that little tidbit about me, it should come as no surprise that I FLIPPED when I found this recipe for etoufee.  It took me back to the good ol’ days of begging the cooks to make me fried pickles…sneaking bites of ice cream in the freezer between shifts…working doubles on the weekends…and making some of the most fabulous friends.

 

EASY CRAWFISH ETOUFEE

1 stick butter

1 tbsp. flour

3 tbsp. green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can cream of celery soup

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1 lb. crawfish tails

cooked rice {I used 2 boil in a bags :)}

chicken broth, for preferred consistency

Tony Chachere’s cajun seasoning, to taste

 

Here’s what you’ll need to get started…

You might notice that the chicken broth and Tony’s seasoning are missing from the line-up.  Don’t you worry, friends.  They’ll make an appearance in a little bit.  Until they do, let’s get started.

First up, let’s start by adding the stick of butter.  If you opened up this post hoping to find a recipe low in fat and calories, well…you came to the wrong place.  If you’re not afraid to indulge in a little sinful eating every now and again, then keep on reading. 

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the flour.  Stir until well combined and then toss in the onions, bell pepper, and garlic and mix it all together.  In a separate pot, boil your rice and set to the side until you’re ready to serve it up.

Cook the veggies until they’re soft and tender…probably about 7-10 minutes, give or take.  Now throw in the soup, mix it all up, then throw on the lid, cover, and let it all simmer for about 20{ish} minutes.

When it’s all nice and simmered, toss in the crawfish tails, salt, pepper, and green onions.

Now, here’s where you might {or might not} want to introduce the next two players…

I like a thick, soupy etoufee, so I kept adding chicken broth until it was the consistency I wanted.  Then I added my most FAVORITE spice…Tony Chachere’s.  If you’re not familiar with the amazingness that is Tony’s, then be cautioned.  This little spice packs a BIG punch, so add at your own risk!  {Okay, so that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously…it gets pretty spicy, so be careful!}  mix well until heated through and serve over rice!

Ohmiword, y’all!  AMAZING!!!!!!

Did you hear me?!?!  I said, AMAZING!!  Because it really is!!!  I’m tellin’ y’all, the Tony’s addition definitely added a lot to this dish.  SO flavorful.  And it was definitely reminiscent of Joe’s version.  And for real, could that have been ANY easier?!  I think not.  If you’re as big a fan of crawfish as I am, you must promise me you’ll give it a try!  But make sure you try it on a cheat day because this is definitely NOT on the list of approved meals for your summer slimdown ;)