Mushroom Etouffee

Directions

1. Make a roux - put 2 tbs butter and 2 tbs flour in a pot and cook over medium heat for several minutes. This is a light roux so you are just cooking the raw off of the flour. After about 5 minutes, add the diced onion and stir for a minute or two. Now add the celery, green pepper and garlic and stir for another minute or two. the whole mixture is going to look unpromising and maybe a little pastey. Not to worry.
2. Now turn up the heat just a little and whisk in the chicken broth, then the wine. The flour will make this into a thick sort of gravy. Add the milk, the bay leaf and spices and a couple of good pinches of salt. Grind in some pepper too. Turn the heat to low and let it think while you prepare the mushrooms.
3. De-stem the mushrooms and brush them clean. Cut them into about 1/2 inch slices - I cut mine in thirds and that was about right. Sprinkle them with a pinch of salt. Heat the duck fat (or butter) in a skillet large enough to accomodate them without crowding (or work in batches) the heat should be medium-high. Sizzle the mushrooms in the fat until they are brown and a little crispy on each side.
4. Move the shrooms from the skillet to the etouffe and turn the heat up a bit to warm it through. Taste your mixture - at this point mine needed another little splash of wine and a pinch of salt. If it seems too thick you can also add additional stock.
5. That's it! We serve over cooked white rice and top it with green onions. And a panko fried brined pork chop!