One of Louisiana's best stews becomes veg-friendly
Anytime I can bring the flavors of Louisiana into my kitchen, I'm happy. Many traditional dishes are off-limits to a vegetarian or vegan, but the smart use of spices and other ingredients can bring them back within reach.
This is just what Jenné Claiborne does so beautifully in her new book, "Sweet Potato Soul" (Harmony Books, 2018). A vegan chef, cooking instructor, blogger and YouTube star, Claiborne brings Southern flair - in the form of "smoke, sugar, spice and soul," as her book's subtitle puts it - to plant-based dishes. That means shredded sweet potatoes and pecans in her granola, coconut three ways (oil, milk and sugar) in her peach cobbler and oyster mushrooms in her étouffée.
It was that last dish I rushed to make, because I love the spicy sauce of an étouffée, which usually features crawfish or shrimp. The idea to use oyster mushrooms, with their luscious texture, immediately made sense.
She sticks to tradition in the ways that matter most - starting with a roux and the "trinity" of onion, bell pepper and celery, and including a good dose of Creole seasoning. I confess to one shortcut: Claiborne includes her own recipe for the spice blend, and I have no doubt it's great given the 10 ingredients she calls for, but I always have a shaker of good old Tony Chachere's in the house, so a dash of that went in instead. (Hint: If you are concerned about your sodium intake, you might want to go for one of the lower-salt versions available, or make your own.)
I knew it was the real deal when my fiance, whose people come from Louisiana, took one bite and put down his spoon - so he could take a photo.