Saturday, April 5, 2014

Poutine

 
Things around my house have been crazy to say the least lately, all of which has lead to Studhubs being out of town for nearly the entire week.  Last night I was feeling kind of down and lonely, so I decided to whip up some comfort food for myself.  Since I had recently had mac & cheese, I thought I would try something new.  A dish that I have been seeing a lot of on The Food Network is a French Canadian delight called.  Poutine.   What is Poutine you ask?  Well, in it's barest form, it is basically french fries, brown gravy, and cheese curds, so basically it is Canadian mac & cheese.  *lol*  Starch, cheese, and sauce.  Since I wanted to try something new I thought I would give this a try and OH BOY am I glad I did!  The taste was out of this world!  Let me show you how I made it.
 
Poutine:
*Prep Time:  5 minutes  *Cook Time:  10 minutes  *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  2-4
 
Ingredients:
 
 
  • Fries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 c. Beef Broth
  • 1 tbsp. Corn Starch
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Cheese Curds
Tools:
  • Frying pan or baking sheet
  • Sauce pan
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Whisk

 
Since I was going for a comfort food feeling, I wasn't about making this gravy fussy.
I kept things simple by pouring 1 c. of water into a sauce pan.

 
Bringing it to a boil and adding a tsp. of beef paste to it. 
(I didn't have boxed stock on hand, so as usual, I used what I had!)

 
I whisked it in until smooth and bring to a simmer.

 
While your beef broth is coming to a simmer,
Pour 1/2 c. of cold water into a measuring cup, and add 1 tbsp. of cornstarch.

 
Stir together and make smooth.
This is called a slurry, and it is used to thicken your gravy while keeping the
silky sheen we love!

 
Pour the slurry into your simmering beef stock and..

 
Whisk until smooth. 
I know it looks milky now, but it will darken as it cooks.

 
See!
Let it simmer until it thickens, then remove from heat.

 
Now time to plate up! 
First the fries.
Now, you can use frozen fries, just cook them according to the packaging. 
OR, you can make your own! 
It is so easy, and I have the how-to right HERE.

 
Now place the cheese curds on top.
If you are not from Canada or the Mid-West, these can be hard to find.
If you can't find them in your local grocer, just use diced white cheddar or even mozzarella.

 
Now pour the gravy over top!

 
The hot gravy will begin to soften and melt the curds, not to mention the great flavor they bring to your fries!  MMMMMM....my mouth is watering!

 
I will openly admit that after eating this, I know why my Canadian friends are crazy about it!  I dare say it has surpassed mac & cheese as comfort food supreme for me! 
 
So the next time you are wanting a little something to feed your soul as well as your tummy, you HAVE to whip up some Poutine!  You will not regret it! 
 
As always...
 
Happy Eating, Happy Reading, and Happy Living,
~The Kitchen Wife~
 
 
Poutine:
 
 
*Prep Time:  5 minutes  *Cook Time:  10 minutes  *Difficulty:  Easy  *Servings:  2-4
 
Ingredients:
  • Fries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 c. Beef Broth
  • 1 tbsp. Corn Starch
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Cheese Curds
Tools:
  • Frying pan or baking sheet
  • Sauce pan
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons
  • Whisk
Directions:
  1. Bring 1 c. of beef broth to a simmer.
  2. To 1/2 c. of cold water, add 1 tbsp. of corn starch, and mix until smooth.
  3. When beef broth is at a simmer, pour in the cornstarch slurry and let gravy simmer until thick.
  4. Taste for seasoning and add any salt and pepper.
  5. Now you will either fry your homemade fries, or cook the frozen ones according the directions on the package.
  6. When fries have cooked, season with salt.
  7. Arrange the hot fries on a platter, place cheese curds on top, and drizzle with gravy.
  8. Serve and enjoy!
*You can top with fresh chopped parsley for color*
**If you are unable to find cheese curds at your local grocer, you can use chopped white cheddar, or even mozzarella.**

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