True North Canadian Poutine


I don't think Americans can truly grasp how ubiquitous poutine is in Canada. It's at restaurants, and you can upgrade your side to poutine at fast food restaurants! It's a simple dish, but the cheese curds take it over the top, and homemade gravy makes all the difference, so don't skimp on either topping.

You'll need:
  • 2 Tbs butter
  • 2 Tbs flour
  • 1 1/2 c beef stock
  • 1/2 c chicken stock
  • 2 lb frozen straight cut fries, unseasoned
  • 10 oz cheddar cheese curds
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then immediately add the flour and stir it in with a whisk or wooden spoon. Cook it, stirring, until it starts to turn golden brown; it'll thicken before it melts again and darkens slightly. Then add the stock. (This guy named Ricardo, who is apparently a French-Canadian celebrity chef, insists on the beef / chicken combination. I tried some different gravy types, and I came to agree.) Bring to a boil and simmer until it thickens to the consistency you want. It doesn't need to be that thick, so no worries if it just thickens a little. Season with ground black pepper to taste.

Fry (or air fry, or bake) the fries until well done - I do the max time on the bag, which was 20 minutes in the air fryer this time.

Remove the fries to a plate and salt them. Toss in a handful of cheese curds, and then ladle gravy over them, as much as you want. The warm gravy will start to melt the cheese curds, which is amazing. Eat with a fork!

Note: Some gravy recipes tell you to chicken with a cornstarch slurry at the end. This will work in a pinch, but it gives it a really weird texture and you'll potentially get gobs of gelatinous substance, and you certainly can't save leftovers. With this reation of butter / flour / stock, you should be fine.