Making Poutine (French Fries, Gravy, and Cheese Curds)
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Poutine ("poo-tin" or "poo-teen") is a unique Canadian creation that traces its origins to Quebec and basically consists of french fries paired with cheese curds and gravy. The following recipe walks you through making homemade french fries with russet potatoes (preferable), but you can use frozen fries if you need to. You'll also want to find cheese curds somewhere.
Poutine means "a mess" in French-Canadian slang and, true to the name, you will probably want to go at this heavy dish with a fork in hand. |
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If you aren't able to get your hands on cheese curds, you can break mozzarella cheese up into chunks.
The ingredients you'll need for making poutine are:
- russet potatoes (5, medium size)
- cheese curds (2 cups)
- all-purpose flour (quarter cup)
- unsalted butter (2 tablespoons)
- beef stock (1 cup)
- chicken stock (1 cup)
- olive oil (2 teaspoons)
- Worcestershire sauce (half teaspoon)
- ketchup (1 tablespoon)
- apple cider vinegar (2 teaspoons)
- minced shallots (1 shallot)
- minced garlic (1 garlic clove)
- parsley and sliced scallions
- oil to fry
- salt and pepper
Start with the potatoes, cutting the russet potatoes into fries, about a half inch in diameter. Go ahead and leave the skin on the potatoes for these french fries.
Fill a bowl with cold water and add the sliced potatoes, cover and place in fridge, then let soak for an hour or two.
Take your olive oil and butter and add to a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Let the butter melt, then add the garlic and shallots and saute until they are soft and change color (become translucent).
Next you'll add your flour to the medium saucepan and whisk together with the olive oil and butter mixture until everything is combined. Lower the heat to medium low and heat the flour mixture for around three minutes.
Time to add a bunch of ingredients: the chicken stock, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and ketchup. Whisk only until all the new ingredients are combined in to the flour mixture and let your new mixture simmer for a little over five minutes. At this point, you can add the pepper and salt to your taste (add carefully and test it out frequently). This is your gravy, which you can keep warm by leaving it on low heat as you make the rest of the poutine.
Take the fries out of the bowl they were soaking in, drain them (using a colander if you need to), then place on a plate and pat them down with paper towels.
Next you will need a large pot. Add the oil for frying to the pot (needs to come high enough that it will cover the fries, of course) and heat to 350 degrees. Organize the fries into different batches, small enough to cook in the pot. Fry each batch for around five minutes for each batch. Use a metal utensil of some kind and very carefully remove the fries once they have cooked long enough, transfer onto paper towels to drain.
All the fries should now be tender. Increase the heat by about 25 degrees and fry each batch for another several minutes to get them nice and crispy. Once again, carefully remove each batch from the pot and place onto paper towels for draining.
Combine the fries onto a baking sheet, then pour gravy evenly over the fries. Spread the cheese curds evenly on top of the gravy and fries, then pour another layer of gravy on top of that. Add the scallions and parsley on top, then serve immediately.
The ingredients you'll need for making poutine are:
- russet potatoes (5, medium size)
- cheese curds (2 cups)
- all-purpose flour (quarter cup)
- unsalted butter (2 tablespoons)
- beef stock (1 cup)
- chicken stock (1 cup)
- olive oil (2 teaspoons)
- Worcestershire sauce (half teaspoon)
- ketchup (1 tablespoon)
- apple cider vinegar (2 teaspoons)
- minced shallots (1 shallot)
- minced garlic (1 garlic clove)
- parsley and sliced scallions
- oil to fry
- salt and pepper
Start with the potatoes, cutting the russet potatoes into fries, about a half inch in diameter. Go ahead and leave the skin on the potatoes for these french fries.
Fill a bowl with cold water and add the sliced potatoes, cover and place in fridge, then let soak for an hour or two.
Take your olive oil and butter and add to a medium saucepan, and place over medium heat. Let the butter melt, then add the garlic and shallots and saute until they are soft and change color (become translucent).
Next you'll add your flour to the medium saucepan and whisk together with the olive oil and butter mixture until everything is combined. Lower the heat to medium low and heat the flour mixture for around three minutes.
Time to add a bunch of ingredients: the chicken stock, beef stock, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, and ketchup. Whisk only until all the new ingredients are combined in to the flour mixture and let your new mixture simmer for a little over five minutes. At this point, you can add the pepper and salt to your taste (add carefully and test it out frequently). This is your gravy, which you can keep warm by leaving it on low heat as you make the rest of the poutine.
Take the fries out of the bowl they were soaking in, drain them (using a colander if you need to), then place on a plate and pat them down with paper towels.
Next you will need a large pot. Add the oil for frying to the pot (needs to come high enough that it will cover the fries, of course) and heat to 350 degrees. Organize the fries into different batches, small enough to cook in the pot. Fry each batch for around five minutes for each batch. Use a metal utensil of some kind and very carefully remove the fries once they have cooked long enough, transfer onto paper towels to drain.
All the fries should now be tender. Increase the heat by about 25 degrees and fry each batch for another several minutes to get them nice and crispy. Once again, carefully remove each batch from the pot and place onto paper towels for draining.
Combine the fries onto a baking sheet, then pour gravy evenly over the fries. Spread the cheese curds evenly on top of the gravy and fries, then pour another layer of gravy on top of that. Add the scallions and parsley on top, then serve immediately.