Yats Chili Cheese Etouffee
This is the exact recipe from the Yats restaurant. As tasty as it is, I would most definitely use some alternatives to a stick of butter they put in their dish.
This is the exact recipe from the Yats restaurant. As tasty as it is, I would most definitely use some alternatives to a stick of butter they put in their dish.
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup chopped green onions
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 stick butter
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- dash tabasco sauce
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced bell peppers
- 1 cup diced onions
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup rotel original diced tomatoes
- 3 cup chicken stock
- 3 cup shredded aged cheddar
- 8 ounce half and half or heavy cream
- pinch ground coriander
- pinch ground cumin
- pinch ground cloves
- dash leas and perrins worcestershire sauce
- 1 lb cooked crawfish shrimp and/or chicken
- cooked white rice
- dry sherry to garnish
- Carbohydrate 68.9512372312528 g
- Cholesterol 47.6916666727532 mg
- Fat 18.5914225723652 g
- Fiber 1.60672047655029 g
- Protein 10.6760648280013 g
- Saturated Fat 10.5571319947652 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (600g)
- Sodium 368.077989332539 mg
- Sugar 67.3445167547026 g
- Trans Fat 1.34848106462277 g
- Calories 487 calories
Step-by-step
- Make a roux by heating the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat then blending in the flour, consistently stirring and scraping the bottom of the skillet. Cook until the roux is golden color.
- Add the green onions, celery, bell peppers, onions, garlic and tomatoes and cook until the onions have browned.
- Add the thyme, tomato paste, basil and peppers (black, white, and cayenne). Add the stock, bring to a boil and simmer until the mixture becomes thick.
- Add the cheese, half and half, chili powder, coriander, cumin, cloves, Lea and Perrins and Tabasco and stir until the cheese and half and half are blended in well.
- Gently stir in the crawfish, shrimp and/or chicken and serve with white rice.
- Garnish with chopped green onions and drizzle with some dry sherry.
Ingredient lists rarely reveal the physical transformation required during cooking, such as how the butter and flour must be continuously agitated in a heavy skillet to avoid scorching. Building this foundational base demands medium heat and constant scraping of the pan floor until the mixture achieves a distinct golden hue before any vegetables enter the pot. That slow color development creates the necessary toasted starch backbone that thickens the three cups of chicken stock without tasting raw.
Home cooks looking to modify the richness can substitute vegetable oil or a lighter dairy fat for the full stick of butter and heavy cream specified, though reducing the fat ratio will alter the final velvety mouthfeel. Incorporating the aged cheddar and dairy occurs off the boiling heat to prevent the proteins from breaking and turning grainy. Stirring gently once the cooked crawfish, shrimp, or chicken joins the sauce protects the delicate protein from shredding into the rice.
Portions prepared in advance store well in the refrigerator for up to three days, though dairy-heavy sauces can separate slightly upon cooling. Reheating requires low, steady heat on the stovetop with a splash of extra stock to restore the smooth consistency. Freezing is generally discouraged because the emulsion of heavy cream and aged cheddar tends to break completely during the thaw cycle.
Serving this creation over hot white rice balances the dense, spiced sauce, while a finishing splash of dry sherry cuts through the richness of the cheese. Green onions added at the very end provide a sharp, clean bite that contrasts with the warm notes of cloves, cumin, and coriander.
