Seitan poutine

Ingredients

• Brown gravy
• 22 ml (1 ½ tbsp) oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 French shallot, sliced
• ½ leek (white and light green parts)
• 3 cloves black garlic
• 35 g (2 ½ tbsp) vegan butter
• 20 g (2 ½ tbsp) flour
• 550 ml (2 ¼ cups) hot water
• 10 ml (2 tsp) Better Than Bouillon vegetable base
• 10 ml (2 tsp) black bean paste
• 22 ml (1 ½ tbsp) ketchup
• 10 ml (2 tsp) maple syrup
• 10 ml (2 tsp) vegan Worcestershire sauce
• 10 ml (2 tsp) aged balsamic vinegar
• 6 g (2 tsp) cornstarch
• 22 ml (1 ½ tbsp) cold water (for the cornstarch)
• Salt to taste
• Toppings
• 350 g (¾ lb) État Végétal seitan (plain), thawed
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) oil (divided)
• 250 g (½ lb) button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 kg (2 lb) fries (homemade or frozen)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

The gravy

1. Char the leek. Cut the leek in half lengthwise. Sear it cut side down in a dry pan over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, until well blackened. Chop coarsely.
2. Fry the onions. In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the onion and shallots, stirring, for 12 to 15 minutes, until deep golden and caramelized. This is where the flavour comes from: don’t rush it.
3. Add the black garlic. Mash the black garlic with a fork and add it along with the charred leek. Cook 1 minute.
4. Make the roux. Add the vegan butter, let it melt, then sprinkle in the flour. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until nutty brown.
5. Add the liquid. Dissolve the Better Than Bouillon in the hot water. Pour in gradually while whisking to avoid lumps.
6. Season. Add the black bean paste, ketchup, maple syrup, Worcestershire and balsamic. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.
7. Blend. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and glossy. For an even finer finish, strain through a sieve.
8. Thicken. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water, whisk into the gravy and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, until it coats a spoon.
9. Salt last. The bouillon and black bean paste are already salty: taste before adding salt.

The poutine

1. Cook the fries. In the oven at 220 °C (425 °F) or in the fryer, until golden and crispy.
2. Heat the seitan. Cut the seitan into bite-size pieces. Heat it in a pan with half the oil over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until hot and lightly golden. Season with salt.
3. Sear the mushrooms. In the same pan, add the remaining oil and sear the mushrooms without stirring too much, 6 to 8 minutes, until well browned. Salt only at the end so they brown instead of releasing their water.
4. Assemble. Place the fries on the plate, top with the seitan and mushrooms, then pour over the hot gravy. Serve right away.