MOFO Day #5 True Grub: Arlene's attempt at Etouffee

This show is chock full of illusions and secrets, I tells ya. But if you're a fan of the show, you already know that. Let's take Arlene Fowler for example, that hair--even a blind person could tell you that it is a dye job. As a fellow dyer, I love her for her crazy red hair. She's really from Michigan, and her Lee Press-On accent is just as real as Renee's. She also loves to do devious things like trick her omni friends with vegan cuisine.

Since she's a Northern gal like me, she doesn't have the method down just yet. She'll get better with time, just you see--and so will I!

Although Renee was totally fooled with this etouffee, the sampling by real Louisiana folk was not. I was told that I did not cook the roux long enough, and in hindsight I agree wholeheartedly. Another person said the soy curls made it taste weird, but I imagine soy curls are weird to an omni just like it seems odd to eat meat for a vegan. Who knows, but I noted it.

Arlene's attempt at Etouffee-(veganized version of recipe by Emeril Lagasse)

3 generous hand fulls of soy curls re-hydrated with 1/4 cayenne pepper

• 2T Veg oil
• 8T Earth Balance
• 3/4 c. brown rice flour
• 1 c. onion
  
• 1/2 c. celery
• 1/2 c. bell pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 quart veggie stock
• 2 t brown sugar
• 1/4 c. hot sauce
• 1T vegan worc. sauce
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley

Reconstitute your curls, sear with the 2T oil, remove from pan, and set aside. Add EB to pan, melting, then adding flour to make your roux. Monitor and stir constantly until chocolate brown. Btw, I did this, but for some reason my taste tester said I could have cooked it longer and that it should have had tomatoes.


After roux has cooked, add the veggies, cooking 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, cook a couple of minutes. Add the stock, curls, brown sugar, hot sauce, and worc. Add bay leaves last and simmer for 30 minutes on low. This gives you plenty of time to retouch your roots and paint your nails. Serve over rice with additional hot sauce if desired.