Pacific Northwest Poutine

As many of you already know, The Man and I are in Northeast Georgia helping my parents as my father recuperates from a lengthy illness. He’s progressing well but has a few more miles to go. We plan to be here another two and half weeks so my posts may be sparse… but hopefully worth it in content… if not… well, I have no idea how to address that issue…

While at The Wedge in Portland earlier this month I picked up a container of Face Rock Three Pepper Cheese Curds and what The Man didn’t greedily scarf up, I used to make poutine.

Until the summer of 2013 when I was in Madison, Wisconsin at the annual American Cheese Society Conference, I was only vague aware that poutine existed. I knew little other than it contained cheese curds, french fries and brown gravy. It originated in Canada and appears to be their king of fast food. A meal unto itself that probably shouldn’t be eaten by anyone watching their cholesterol or who knows what cholesterol is… especially the pesky “bad” kind… But for that same reason it is consumed madly by Canadians and Americans living near the Canadian border both in the lower forty-eight and Alaska. Madison was my first poutine and my second tasting was this past summer in Anchorage, Alaska.

Because The Man had never tasted poutine, I felt obligated to introduce him… hey, what’s a wife to do if she can’t ply her man with food that literally sticks to the lining of his arteries. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients:

Potatoes for frying, cut and preserved in cold water until ready to use (I don’t peel, because I’m too lazy, but hey, knock yourself out.)

Oil for frying (I went with pan frying as opposed to deep-frying and used canola oil)

Cheese Curds (the fresher the better)

Salt to taste

Brown gravy:

Dripping from the frying and a little leftover oil

2 Tbsp. of flour

1 1/2 cups beef broth (I think chicken broth would do fine but it would not have the rich, requisite color required to be real poutine. I think milk gravy would also be tasty but then it wouldn’t be poutine… how about “Southern Poutine”?)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

Prepare your potatoes to your liking for thickness, etc.

Heat oil. If deep-frying, heat to 375° F.

Fry potatoes till the brownness you and crispness you enjoy. Drain on paper towels. Set aside in a warming oven.

Drain oil retaining drippings and enough oil to make your gravy.

Add flour and cook till flour taste is gone, about five minutes. Whisking to keep from clumping, etc.

Add broth slowly and whisk to avoid clumping and lumps.

Cook about 5-10 minutes until reaches desired thickness.

Assemble:

Fries on bottom.

Topped with curds.