Quebec Poutine
Yessss I know what you’re probably thinking…I’ve hit ‘Q’ in my A-Z of Potatoes series and this is a bit suspect. Most people don’t refer to this dish as ‘Quebec Poutine’ but YOU find me another potato recipe beginning with Q. Honestly. Does one exist?! My back up was something with Quaker Oats or quail eggs, so let’s be thankful I didn’t go down that route.
Is Poutine actually from Quebec?
The precise origins of poutine are often hotly debated within Canada, so for the purpose of this series, I’m team Quebec. Woo!
Anyway, let’s get back to the actual dish. Poutine is a hot mess in the best possible way. You’ve got golden french fries topped with squeaky cheese curds and doused in thick, velvety brown gravy. If you’re reading this is the UK, you’ve probs had something similar from your local takeaway and as any Brit knows, it’s impossible not to like chips and gravy. Go to the shops, buy the ingredients and make this tonight.
If you struggle to source cheese curds, use torn chunks of full-fat mozzarella (the kind you’d put on a pizza), not the super watery one.
Ingredients
- 3-4 large floury potatoes, preferably Maris piper
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 300ml oz chicken stock
- 300ml oz beef stock
- 3 tbsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp salted butter, diced into small cubes
- 200g mozzarella (or cheese curds, if you can find them)
- salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Slice your potatoes into chips (about the thickness of your index finger) and place them in a bowl of cold water to soak for 2-3 minutes.
- Rinse the potatoes to remove any excess starch, then place them in a large saucepan and cover with cold, heavily salted water. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for a further 7-10 minutes until tender but not falling apart.
- Carefully drain the potatoes in a colander, then place them in a single layer on a wire rack. Suspend this over the saucepan you’ve just used and cover with a tea towel. Leave to steam-dry for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the oil to a large baking tray and place in the oven to heat for 5-10 minutes or until hot.
- When the oil is hot, carefully remove the tray from the oven and tip the chips into it, giving them one little mix so they get coated in the hot oil – the oil should sizzle when the dry potatoes are added. Return the tray to the oven for 45 minutes or until golden and crispy all over. Halfway through cooking, turn the chips so that all the sides have the opportunity to crisp up.
- While the chips are cooking, make your gravy. Add both stocks to a saucepan and bring to the boil, then reduce the liquid by half. This should take around 5 minutes.
- In a separate small bowl, mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water. Turn down the heat on the reduced stock, then whisk in the cornflour and the diced butter. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- To serve, stack your chips high, tear up your mozzarella (if using cheese curds leave them as they are) and pile on top. Pour over your hot, thick gravy and dig in.