Crawfish Etouffee

So it's getting cold outside, which means the menu changes quite a bit to stews and chili and such things. On top of the cold weather, my sister called me while she was at the grocery store shopping for crawfish etouffee ingredients and got both hubby and I craving some. Since today is Veterans' Day and hubby is a veteran, I decided to go all out. That means crawfish etouffee, french bread (storebought), baked sweet potatoes, and bread pudding. Yum yum. I don't miss home so badly (for the moment).

For those of you who don't know anything about Cajun cooking, an etouffee is a form of the French word for "smothered." You can have a variety of different etouffees, but I've only ever had crawfish. Some are more of a tomato base as opposed to the creamy base I've got. The recipe I use comes from a family friend. We usually have this on Christmas eve, and I like to make it for my friends to give them a sample of Cajun food. It's yummy and warm and filling. I love it.


Crawfish Etouffee
(this is a recipe that goes off of ratios. Expect a pound of crawfish to feed 1.5 - 2 people)

• 1 pound crawfish tails, thawed if from a frozen pack
  
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1/4 cup butter
• Tony Chacheres
  

Melt the butter in a large pot. Add in the bellpepper and saute for a few minutes. Add the onions and saute until they are soft.

Stir in the cream of mushroom soup. Mix well and bring to a boil.

Season with Chacheres (a few teaspoons perhaps, I do it to taste). Bring to a low simmer and cover.

This is a dish that works well if it just simmers for a bit. Add the crawfish tails 20 minutes before serving.

Serve atop rice. Try not to overstuff yourself. It will be difficult, but I have faith in you!