fat tuesday

If you're from Indy, you probably know, and love Yats. If you haven't been, you've absolutely got to go!

“Lines of cheery diners await heaping plates of jambalaya and étouffée at Yats Cajun Creole Restaurant…a celebration of neo-psychedelic paintings, great jazz, and excellent food….the king of this carnival is the owner, Joe Vuskovich, a hyper kinetic former New Orleans restauranteer who works with a complex blend of spices.”  - New York Times Travel Section

One of their most popular recipes is Chili Cheese Étouffée (with Chicken or Crawfish). We absolutely love any of the dishes at Yats, but especially this one. I stumbled upon the recipe a while back, and it was of the very few regular dishes made at our house. The recipe looks long and daunting, but it is actually really easy to make... just has a LOT of ingredients. It is a true New Orleans-style comfort food, and is even packed with 5+ cups of veggies! So maybe a "not-so-fat Tuesday!"

chili cheese étouffée with chicken

6 Servings

1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup green onions
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup bell pepper, diced
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1 tsp thyme
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 cups chicken stock
3 cups shredded aged cheddar
1 cup half and half
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cloves, ground
1/2 tsp Worcestershire 
1/2 tsp RedHot (or your favorite hot sauce)
1 lb cooked chicken - We roast it in the oven with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper, then shred it.
Cooked white rice
Dry Sherry, to garnish 

• Heat a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
• Add the green onion, celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes and cook until the onions have browned.
• Add thyme, tomato paste, basil, and peppers (black, white, and cayenne).
• Add stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer until the mixture becomes thick.
• Add cheese one handful at a time, stirring to incorporate each time.
• Add half & half, chili powder, coriander, cumin, cloves, Worcestershire, and RedHot. Stir until half & half is well blended.
• Gently stir in chicken. 
• Serve on a bed of rice with a drizzle of dry sherry on top, and your favorite hot sauce if you want more heat.