AUTHENTIC CANADIAN POUTINE RECIPE

Surprise.  This is my first non-soup post for this blog, but it does include gravy.  I just returned from Montreal. That was my first visit and had a great time, the people were friendly, and the food was phenomenal.  I have to thank my new friends at Motion Composites for their hospitality.  They showed us a really good time and took us to some great restaurants.

In honor of the good times in Montreal, I am going to fore go this weeks soup recipe and share a recipe for a Canadian standard, Poutine.  The idea to add this recipe to the blog came during a meeting of the minds in room 216 of the Imperia Hotel in Montreal.  So special thanks to Julie Puccio, Brian Rourke, Scott Fiss, Jeff Hopson and the website Seasons & Suppers.

I served this as a side dish when we had Christmas dinner with our kids and 7 grand kids.  Oddly enough, our celebration was on Boxing Day.  So, I hope you really enjoy this one.


Authentic Canadian Poutine Recipe

 Authentic Canadian Poutine featuring oven-baked potato wedges,  poutine  gravy and white cheddar cheese curds all tossed together. This  recipe,  usually calls for deep fried french fries, but I am going to bake  my fries.



Ingredients

•  Poutine Gravy:
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp. (30 ml) water
• 6 Tbsp. (90 ml) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 20 oz. (568 ml) beef broth
• 10 oz. (284 ml) chicken broth
• Pepper, to taste
• For Oven Baked Fries:
• 2 lbs. Russet potatoes (3-4 medium potatoes)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Toppings:
• 1 – 1 1/2 torn chunks of mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Prepare the gravy: In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water and set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns golden brown. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.
3. Add the beef and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Stir in the cornstarch and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Season with pepper. Taste and add additional salt, if necessary, to taste. Make ahead and re-warm or keep warm until your fries are ready.
4. For Oven Fries: Wash the potatoes and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch matchsticks. Saute 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic in 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.  In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the garlic and olive oil, 1 teaspoons paprika, and 1 teaspoons chili powder until the potatoes are completely covered. 
5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and lay out the potatoes in a single layer.  Bake for 15 minutes, turn potatoes and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
6. To Prepare Poutine: Add your fried or baked fries to a large, clean bowl. Season lightly with salt while still warm. Add a ladle of hot poutine gravy to the bowl and using tongs, toss the fries in the gravy. Add more gravy, as needed to mostly coat the fries.
7. Add the cheese and toss with the hot fries and gravy. Serve with freshly ground pepper. Serve immediately.

Prep time: 20 min | Cook time: 40 min | Total time: 60 min

Number of servings (yield): 4