Cajun Crawfish Tails

Ingredients

• 1 lb crawfish tails, peeled and deveined
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 medium bell pepper (red or green)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cajun seasoning
• ½ whole lemon, juiced
• 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the onion on a cutting board and cut it in half from root to tip, then slice each half crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide strips so the pieces fall apart into thin crescents.

2. 2

   Hold the bell pepper upright and slice it vertically from the top down, turning it as you go to remove 4 flat sides around the core, then slice those flat sides lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.

3. 3

   Mince the garlic cloves with a knife until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice — about the size of pencil-tip dots — by rocking the blade back and forth over the minced pile.

4. 4

   Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add 1.5 tablespoons of butter and let it melt for about 30 seconds until it stops foaming and smells nutty.

5. 5

   Add the crawfish tails to the hot butter and cook without stirring for 2 minutes until the bottom side turns pink and opaque, then flip each tail with tongs or a spatula and cook for another 1–2 minutes until cooked through.

6. 6

   Transfer the cooked crawfish tails to a plate, using a slotted spoon so butter stays in the pan.

7. 7

   Add the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet, then add the onion and bell pepper strips and stir with a wooden spoon once every 20 seconds until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent, about 3 minutes.

8. 8

   Add the minced garlic and 2 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning to the pan and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the spices smell strongly fragrant and coat all the vegetables.

9. 9

   Return the crawfish tails to the skillet, pour in the lemon juice, and stir gently to coat everything with the butter and spices for about 20 seconds.

10. 10

    Taste the dish and add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed — the Cajun seasoning may already have salt, so go slowly.

11. 11

    Transfer the crawfish tails, vegetables, and sauce to a serving bowl or plate and serve immediately while the butter is still glossy.

Tools you’ll need

• cutting board
• chef's knife
• large skillet (12-inch)
• wooden spoon
• tongs or silicone spatula
• slotted spoon
• serving bowl or plate

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