Vancouver Food Tour Announcement + Guilt-Free Miso Mushroom Poutine Recipe

I made this recipe Urban Rush, a local talk show today. While we cooked, I also announced my exciting new business venture:

Vancouver Food Tour – Local Food Culture Experience

VancouverFoodTour.com – During and after the Olympics, I’ve received an alarming amount of requests for restaurant and food recommendations from readers around the world. The passion behind these emails inspired me to start my own touring business where I’ll personally guide visitors to Vancouver’s best culinary destinations. From top-notch restaurants, local wine and beer samplings, to our gorgeous public market, I’ve got you covered!

If you or someone you know are planning to visit Vancouver and want to experience the best of our food culture, be sure to join the mailing list or contact me on Twitter for more details.

My appearance on Urban Rush will air on Shaw TV at these times:

Vancouver and Shaw Satellite – 5, 7, 11 pm and noon tomorrow (ch 4)
Victoria – 5 pm (ch 11)
Calgary – 8 pm (ch 10)
CJBN, CTV (via Shaw) – 9 am tomorrow

There, you’ll see me make the following recipe and stumble over my words. I will also upload a clip after it airs.

The traditional Quebecois poutine consists of fresh French fries topped with cheese curds, then drowned in scalding gravy. It’s not rocket science – this proud Canadian concoction of crispy fries, oozing cheese, and meaty gravy is mind-blowingly delicious. Sinfully delicious.

It neither takes a genius to figure out that this dish packs on a billion calories and a gagillion grams of sodium. But nobody does the math while eating poutine. My favourite version is kicked up one step further and it knocked me breathless against my chair. Daniel Boulud’s DB Bistro Moderne serves it comme ça:

Duck Poutine Lyonnaise with Shredded Duck Confit, Onion, Mushroom, Cheese Curd, Duck Jus, topped with a Sunny Side Up Egg.

During the Olympics, many of us had our fair share of poutine as it was served in numerous venues. I became hooked. When one becomes dependent on such an addictive substance, quitting cold turkey just won’t cut it. I needed to gradually ween off the food-crack.

In the process of creating something to emulate the sensations that only a true poutine can deliver, I came up with a different, but still very comforting version. Take extra comfort in feeling guilt-free when indulging in it.

• Miso-tahini gravy +
• Crispy oven-baked fries +
• Sauteed garlic mushrooms +
• Light mozzarella cheese +

= Guiltless Poutine

Still not convinced? Scroll through these lip-smacking photos first.

Then, grab the recipe at the bottom, along with a simple vegetarian option.

Ingredients

• 2 Russet potatoes
• 3 C mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tbs flour
• 2 C chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
• 2 tsp miso paste
• 2 tsp tahini
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• low-fat mozzarella cheese, cubed
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions

Oven-baked fries

• Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C)
• Scrub and wash the potatoes, then cut them into 1/2″ thick batons. Soak in salted cold water (1 tbs to 1 L) for 15 minutes.
• Drain and pat potatoes dry. Toss in a bowl with 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp coarse sea salt. Spread in one layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crispy (approx. 30 minutes, turning them every 10 minutes).

Sauteed Garlic Mushrooms

• In a large skillet, heat up some olive oil over medium heat and infuse it with the garlic cloves. When the garlic turns golden brown, discard.
• Saute the mushrooms in the garlic oil with a pinch of salt until golden brown. Reserve.

Miso Tahini Gravy

• Cook the flour with an equal amount of olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until the roux becomes lightly golden.
• Slowly pour in the stock while whisking vigorously. Continue to whisk until the sauce comes to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and whisk in the miso paste, tahini, and mustard. Adjust the thickness with more stock. When the gravy returns to a boil, remove from heat and season with freshly cracked black pepper.

To Assemble

• Fries + mushrooms + cheese + hot gravy = enjoy!

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