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Poutine is a popular Canadian dish that will change the way you eat regular French fries. Instead of ketchup or fry sauce, these crispy fries are covered in cheese and beef gravy.
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I remember the first time I tried poutine. We were trying out a new restaurant and saw a dish with fries, beef, gravy and cheese curds listed. I love all the ingredients but had never tried all those things together. We got it as an appetizer to share amongst the table and we all cleaned the plate so fast, it was delicious! I knew I could make an even better version of my own with our famous beef gravy, so I got to work.
I like to serve poutine as an appetizer or main dish. If making it as a main dish, I usually add some kind of protein like shredded beef. I made these for a missionary that was serving in our area who was from Quebec because he was missing home. He absolutely loved it, and he even admitted that my poutine was up there with some of the best he has tried! I’ll take that as a Canadian stamp of approval.
Poutine Origins
Poutine originated in Quebec, Canada in the 1950’s however no one knows who actually came up with the original idea. There are several restaurants throughout Quebec that claim to be the original no one really knows for sure.
The most widespread story is that poutine originates from a restaurant formerly called Le Lutin qui rit in Warwick, in the Arthabaska region. Supposedly in 1957, a client named Eddy Lainesse asked the owner Fernand Lachance to mix the cheese curds with the fries.
A restaurant called Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville registered a trademark stating that it is the inventor of poutine. Jean-Paul Roy, owner of this restaurant in 1964, claims to be the first one to have served poutine as we know it today.
Poutine was an immediate, widespread hit with French Canadians all over the province, which is why it’s hard to pinpoint the exact restaurant/chef that came up with the idea. It can now be found all over the world from food trucks, to diners, to sporting events and has dozens of variations. Poutine La Banquise in Montreal, has more than 28 types of poutine! It is now known as one of the most quintessential Canadian dishes.
Poutine Ingredients
Traditional poutine consists of 3 major parts:
French fries (or potatoes), cheese curds, and gravy. You can find variations adding more toppings, like shredded beef, but authentic poutine usually requires at least these 3 things.
Potatoes for Fries
The first layer of poutine is always some kind or potato. This is the “base”. The best potatoes to use for fries when making poutine are russet potatoes. Because they hold their shape better, they crisp up nicely in the oil. Softer potatoes like Yukon Gold will get mushy and fall apart. If you don’t want to deep fry your own homemade fries, then you can bake them in the oven on a baking sheet or try our Air Fryer French Fries. Do what it easiest for you! You can cheat by using frozen French fries but homemade French fries will taste best. Feel free to get creative and try making your poutine with potato wedges, waffle fries, tater tots, or roasted potatoes.
Beef Gravy
I prefer using leftover beef gravy from our Sunday roast dinners for our poutine. If you want to make your poutine gravy from scratch, then just follow our recipe below. Ingredients include butter (salted or unsalted butter), all purpose flour, beef broth (beef stock and chicken broth work too), onion powder, and salt and pepper. Some sprinkle in a little Worcestershire sauce or red wine vinegar for added flavor.
If you are in a hurry, then you can use a gravy packet mix or bottled gravy. Leftover turkey gravy from Thanksgiving or Sunday dinner is also delicious to use too. Don’t let that good leftover gravy go to waste; use it for poutine!
Cheese Curds
Always use cheese curds for this recipe! It is also known as “squeaky cheese.” Cheese curds are perfect for Poutine because the cheese maintains its shape, but melts slightly in the hot gravy. You can use cheddar cheese curds or mozzarella cheese curds (or any kind of cheese curds, really). We used garlic-flavored mozzarella cheese curds once and they worked great. The combination of cheese curds with the salty fries is just so scrumptious! If you absolutely can’t find cheese curds, then you could possibly get away with fresh packed mozzarella or Oaxaca cheese. Some suggest using Ricotta or cottage cheese, but please don’t because I promise you will not be happy with the outcome. You want a good melty cheese that will give you a nice cheese pull.
Where to find cheese curds
Cheese curds can be found in the cheese section of most grocery stores, however you may have an easier time finding them in a grocery store that offers specialty cheeses. You can also find fresh cheese curds with nice big chunks at cheese factories. Every time we visit the Oregon coast, we make it a point to visit the Tillamook cheese factory to get fresh cheese curds. If you ever make it there yourself, then you MUST get the fried cheese curds. They will blow your mind!
Poutine Variations
Don’t be afraid to get crazy with Poutine variations! Have leftover roast? Add it on there! Bacon crumbles? Go right ahead! Canadian Poutine is the best poutine recipe in my opinion, but sometimes you’ve got to mix it up. Here are a few more variation/fusion ideas:
- Sunday Leftovers – Add poutine with leftovers. Sunday night roast and gravy turns into Monday night football appetizer or maybe more appropriately, hockey games!
- “Loco Moco” (Hawaiian style) – add a fried egg to the top
- Pizza Poutine – Swap out the gravy for pizza sauce and top with your favorite pizza toppings
- Bacon & Mushroom – Add fresh crumbled bacon and sautéed mushrooms
- Italian Poutine – marinara, fresh mozzarella cheese, and Italian sausage
Tips for making Poutine
- Don’t take your poutine too seriously. Be flexible and use what you have. You really can’t go wrong!
- For extra-crispy fries don’t skip on soaking the fries in cold water before cooking. This removes the starch therefore giving you a more crispy French fry. Be sure to pat dry before frying.
- When frying your French fries, make sure you are using the accurate temperatures. Use a kitchen thermometer or a fryer with a temperature gauge.
- Remember to season your fries once they are cooked! Use sea salt or seasoning salts to being out the flavor.
- When ready to eat, you can broil it on high for 2-3 minutes to make the cheese melt faster.
More French Fry Recipes
Frequently Asked Questions
Poutine (pronounced like poo-teen) is Canada’s version of smothered fries. It is like a cross between mashed potatoes and gravy and cheese fries. French fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds may sound strange but really, it’s no less strange than American chili cheese fries.
Poutine is a Canadian slang word for mess.
We usually use vegetable oil, but you can use Canola oil, peanut oil, and safflower oil as well. Just be sure to get the oil temperature to 300 degrees before frying.
READ NEXT: Our Favorite Potato Recipes
More Potato Recipes
You can serve Poutine as a full meal or appetizer or alongside roast beef, chicken or turkey. Being from Idaho, we take our potatoes seriously around here. Try more of our delicious potato recipes;
- Cheesy Mashed Potato Cakes
- Grilled Ranch Potatoes in Foil
- Creamed Peas and Potatoes
- Parmesan Grilled Garlic Potatoes
- Danish Brunede Kartofler Caramalized Potatoes
- Loaded Potato Wedges
Canadian Poutine Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 russett potatoes cut into fries
- oil for frying
- 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
- 1 cup white cheese curds
- 1 1/2 cup gravy leftover beef gravy is best, but you can also use the recipe below
Gravy:
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Cut potatoes into fries and soak in a bowl of cold water for at least 1 hour (or overnight in the fridge). Dry well with paper towels.
- Heat oil in deep fryer or large skillet to 300 degrees. Fry fries in batches (try not to overcrowd) of about 5 minutes each to soften. Remove from oil and drain, increase oil temp to 400 degrees and fry again for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.
- Place fries on paper towels to drain excess oil. Season with salt and place on large plate or platter.
- Sprinkle cheese curds evenly over fries and pour hot gravy over the top. Serve immediately.
For the gravy:
- Melt butter in medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour making a roux. Cook for about 1 minute.
- Reduce heat and slowly add beef broth, whisking constantly, until you reach your desired thickness. Add onion powder and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Recipe Tips:
- Don’t take your poutine too seriously. Be flexible and use what you have. You really can’t go wrong!
- For extra-crispy fries don’t skip on soaking the fries in cold water before cooking. This removes the starch and gives you a more crispy French fry. Be sure to pat dry before frying.
- When frying your French fries, make sure you are using the accurate temperatures. Use a kitchen thermometer or a fryer with a temperature gauge.
- Remember to season your fries once they are cooked! Use sea salt or seasoning salts to being out the flavor.
- When ready to eat, you can broil it on high for 2-3 minutes to make the cheese melt faster.
Nutrition Information
Hello. Great recipe. Some tips. Blanche your potato sticks in water with 3 tablespoons vinegar for 7-8 min. Spread on a paper lined cookie sheet to dry and cool a bit. Two options thereafter. Option One: quick fry at 300F for 3 min. and then drain/cool; then fry again to desired browness, and keep hot in 250F oven. Option Two – go to full fry until browned to desired colour, then remove, salt, and keep in 250F oven until ready to eat. NOTES: Cooking the fries with vinegar gives the fries a solid base for deep frying. Also, if you’re a super-dedicated fries fan, cook them in beef tallow. This is the fat used by the old time ’60’s “Chip Wagons” in Western Quebec/Eastern Ontario. Not super-healthy, but if you only eat them 5-6 times yearly you will live to be 100! Also, you can freeze the fries after the first fry, then cook the final with the frozen fries. Ref. the gravy … the real deal gravy is always on the salty side. Most “poutine” trucks use a mix of chicken/beef gravy, but always well salted!
Thank you so much for all the tips!