by The Webmaster
Serves: 4 people. Preparation time: 60 minutes.
- 2 lbs. Russet Baking Potatoes
- 2 Qt. Peanut (or Vegetable) Oil
- 3 T. Butter
- 3 T. Flour
- 1 Can (10 oz.) Chicken, Veal or Turkey Stock Broth
- 1 lb. White Cheese Curds
Wash the potatoes good using a bristle brush and cut out any "eyes". (Peeling is optional.)
Cut the potatoes into sticks with a French Fry maker. Uniform Fries cook evenly.
Put the Fries into a pot and cover with cold water, let soak for 2 hours or in a refrigerator over night.
In a deep frier, heat the Oil to 300-325°.
Remove them from the water and lay the Fries on a sheet covered with paper towels and pat them dry.
FIRST FRY: Fry half the batch for 4-6 minutes but DON'T LET THEM GET BROWN.
Remove while soft but still white. Let drain on clean paper towels. Fry the second half. Allow to cool.
Prepare the gravy by melting the Butter in a saucepan, stir in Flour, then the Broth. Stir over medium heat until it thickens. Salt and Vinegar the sauce to taste.
Cut Cheese Curds into small pieces if too large. Just before serving, heat fresh Oil in the frier to 400°.
SECOND FRY: Fry half the batch for a few minutes until they are medium-dark brown on all sides.
Fry the second half. Let drain on paper towel. Double frying makes them crispy.
Place a few hot Fries on individual dishes, sprinkle some Curds on the Fries and spoon Gravy over it.
VARIATIONS: include toppings of chopped Bacon, Sausage or Montreal-style Smoked Meat. Sharp Cheddar Cheese and more Vinegar are sometimes used. Sweet Potatoes can be substituted. Heavy Pork or Beef Gravy is rarely used in Canada but serves as an alternative sauce. A St. Hubert packaged Poutine Gravy Mix is now available in Canada.
Poutine - The French would pronounce it Poo'-teen but the Québécois pronounce it Poo'-tin (like Vladimir Putin). Definitely a Canadian dish, said to have originated either in or near Quebec City in the 1950s. Today, you mostly find it in "greasy spoon" diners and pubs, but it's so popular that McDonald's, KFC, Harvey's, A&W, Wendy's and even Burger King chains have it on the menu in this provence and other parts of eastern Canada. Chains specializing in Poutine, like Smoke's Poutinerie, are now popping up. It's very popular in hockey arenas too. In some cases it spills over into the US border states also. It's already a staple in the "pub or comfort food" category but you can now find it in eclectic high-end restaurants all over North America too. Many feel that the origin is from the Québécois slang term meaning "a mess". That seems to define it perfectly.
