when i lived in toronto's queen west, my condo was directly across the street from an eatery called poutini's house of poutine. it was an independently owned take away restaurant that just sold poutine. from the traditional poutine to the smoked meat poutine it was the best place to go for a late night snack! i would even order just the fresh cut fries some nights because they were that good. now that i don't live across the street from poutini's anymore, i have perfected my poutine making skills at home. you would never know these french fries are baked not fried (come on how crispy do those look)! the trick is to use enough canola oil to heavily coat the pan & ensure they crisp up and brown on each side. this is not the time for extra virgin olive oil my friends. i also ensure to cut the fry shapes as uniform as possible so everything cooks evenly. for the gravy i included all my favourite herbs to make it a little fancier then a traditional poutine & give the gravy a fresher taste. i blended the gravy in my vitamix to make sure no chunks or garlic or herbs are visible. i think it is important for the gravy to appear as smooth & creamy as possible. lastly, i used store bought cheese curds to finish things off. BUT (call me crazy) i think i am going to try and make my own cheese curds next time too! how hard can it be, eh?!
ingredients
for the herb gravy
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon rosemary, fresh or dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme, fresh or dried
- salt & cracked black pepper, to taste
for the fancy poutine
- 4-5 large potatoes, sliced
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 cup fresh cheese curds
- 1 cups herb gravy (see recipe above)
directions
for the herb gravy
- in a sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter. add the flour & stir constantly for 4-5 minutes.
- pour in the beef stock & whisk until smooth.
- add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt & pepper. remove from heat once gravy thickens.
- pour into vitamix & blend for 60 seconds. this will ensure a smooth & creamy gravy.
- set aside until ready to use. stores well in a sealed container for a week.
for the fancy pants poutine
- preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- toss potatoes in oil, salt & pepper.
- bake for an hour, rotating the potatoes every 25 minutes. this will ensure each side becomes golden brown.
- divide potatoes in desired serving dish. layer with hot gravy & cheese curds. top with additional gravy if desired.
