Canadian Poutine

Poutine is a simple yet indulgent Canadian dish made of crispy French fries and chunks of salty, softened cheese curds smothered in a tangy gravy. This holy trinity of ingredients merges to create something truly magical as the hot fries with their golden crisp exteriors and pillowy interiors and the robust, steaming hot gravy gently melt the cheese curds so they soften but still maintain their signature squeaky shape. Poutine can be made 100% from scratch or is fabulous to use with leftover gravy. I’ve also included how to make poutine recipe with baked French fries, how to prep ahead, how to store and how to freeze.

This poutine recipe requires surprisingly few ingredients.Russet potatoes are the best potatoes for making poutine because they are denser and have the least amount of moisture which = crispier fries. Poutine is not poutine without the cheese curds, otherwise known as “squeaky cheese.” Cheese curds are pillowy little peanut-sized lumps of fresh, young cheese that have a mild flavor like mozzarella. They are perfect for poutine because the cheese maintains its shape, but becomes warm and melts slightly when blanketed in the hot gravy. This poutine recipe isn’t too tricky. Honestly, the hardest part is patience while deep frying the French fries in batches! And if you’ve never fried before, you’ll get the hang of it quickly!

Ingredients:

GRAVY

• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 1/2 cups low sodium beef broth
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp EACH dried parsley, granulated beef bouillon
• 1/2 tsp EACH dried parsley, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper
• 1/4 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried thyme

FRENCH FRIES & CHEESE

• 4 lbs. russet potatoes peeled, washed
• Vegetable oil for frying
• table salt
• 2 cups white cheddar cheese curds at room temperature