Poutine...anyone else like it?

Poutine is french fries with beef gravy and either cheese curds or mozerella on top. DELISH!

I think you will find a LOT of other posters here @ RF that share your opinion. While not available in my area; homemade is just as good with some tasty gravy. (The secret's in the lard ... )

Welcome to RF, BTW...

Sounds good....what region are we talking about here?

quote:

Originally posted by AeroDynamic

Poutine is french fries with beef gravy and either cheese curds or mozerella on top. DELISH!

I agree, but will take mine with cheese curds. A few years back I vacationed in Quebec, and had this as a lunch treat several times. While quite tasty, a large platter is the equivalent of getting hit on the head with a 10 pound hammer...one feels sluggish and a bit dopey. My sister calls it a "cheese induced stupor", and it can also be brought on by large quantities of pizza.

That's what they're called! The last time that I was at Pomme Frites in NYC they had Poutine. They served them with gravy and cheese sauce. I didn't get them because I had a terrible migraine that day and was feeling really woozy (ended up in the emergency room that night but I digress.) Every now and then I think about those fries and wonder what if?

quote:

Originally posted by Grillmeister

Sounds good....what region are we talking about here?

I have only had them in Quebec and Ottawa and surrounding areas. Not sure if they are available elsewhere. They go good with a nice "smoked meat" sandwich.

Here in Plattsburgh, we are verrry close to the Quebec border (eh?). Poutine is available at many eating places in this area. Many restautants also offer fries with gravy. IMHO, that is even betten than poutine.

Wally

I love poutine, and I find it mind-boggling that there are people out there who think it's disgusting. I mean, to paraphrase Joey Tribbiani: french fries, good. Gravy, good. Cheese curds, gooooooooooooooood.

Thanks for the welcome!

I am in Maine,up on the Canadian border. In fact,I can see New Brunswick from my house.

There is also another version of poutine made with spaghetti sauce and cheese called Italian poutine but I prefer the original.Our McD's even had poutine on their menu but its been discontinued.

quote:

Originally posted by AeroDynamic

Thanks for the welcome!

I am in Maine,up on the Canadian border. In fact,I can see New Brunswick from my house.

There is also another version of poutine made with spaghetti sauce and cheese called Italian poutine but I prefer the original.Our McD's even had poutine on their menu but its been discontinued.

AD: I spent four hours crossing the border at Calais. It was a long four hours and I was able to leave the car several times and mini shop at a lot of the shops that made a living from the slow traffic. Many folks would get out of their car for food, bathroom breaks. I had a driver so I was able to make a purchase at the place close to the border where you could buy liquor and pay no tax. It made the long wait much more tolerable.

I assume you are from Fort Kent? If so that is as far north in ME as you can get.

I had the poutine many times in Nova Scotia, PEI and New Brunswick.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Thats where I am :) I see you got to enjoy the Ammex..lol I wonder why you had such a long wait?

PQ means Poutine Quick! (in english at least). McD's has it, many small mom and pops have it. Does go good with a smoked meat, but you will have to take a long nap after!

In Jersey we call them Disco Fries. A staple for any late night diner run.

Wallhd:

What, pray tell is IMHO?
Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by topferment

Wallhd:

What, pray tell is IMHO?
Thanks.

shorthand for In My Humble Opinion

My son has ordered fries with gravy at this "comfort food" diner we frequent. It's the same gravy they put on their chicken pot pie. They call theirs "wet fries".

What are cheese curds? Surely it's not just a fancy name for cottage cheese???

Cheese curds are fresh, young cheddar cheese in the natural, random shape and form before being processed into blocks and aged.

They squeak when you chew them...LOL

In Montreal, there is a "best of " category in the yearly dining reviews just on Poutine.
Usually La Belle Province and Frits Alors are the 2 restaurant chains that win the awards year after year, but McDonald's does place well in the voting.
The McDonald's version uses their standard french fries, nothing different-just adding the cheese curds and gravy.
If the cheese curds are not available, mozzarella is often substituted.
The people in Quebec are so serious about their poutine that:
1. You can buy cheese curds in a gas station convienience store. (Just think, pump 20 bucks of gas, a pack of smokes, a six pack, and ..oh, I'll take a bag of cheese curds as well.)
2. There are chain restaurants in various food courts that offer 15 or 16 different versions, including the tomato sauce version.
3. Because it is considered a provincial "specialty" dish, seemingly native to Canada, it is paired with another native Quebec cuisine, smoked meat...to create, you guessed it..smoked meat poutine, where diced smoked meat, cheese curds, gravy are all poured over French Fries.
4. The supermarkets have packets of Poutine gravy on the shelves next to the packets of sloppy joe mix, taco seasoning, and sweet and sour sauce.
Poutine is now 47 years old.
For its history: http://www.canoe.ca/CNEWSLifeArchive/oct2_poutine.html

Poutine from La Belle Province:
[img]http://images.snapfish.com/342%3A6%3A3923232%7Ffp63%3Dot%3E232%3B%3D924%3D%3B37%3DXROQDF%3E2323593%3B%3B%3C682ot1lsi[/img]

Yum....I am 3 hours from Quebec city...45 minutes from the province..I love Quebec

They sell the gravy packets made by St Hubert on this side. St Hubert is a chain like KFC but much better.

Had Poutine up in Quebec a couple of years ago. Tasty. We were fresh in from the States and drove from Quebec Airport up to Riviere du Loop. We stopped at a petrol station/restaurant and were pleasantly surprised to meet a waitress who spoke English like she grew up in Hahvahd Yahd. She put us on to Poutine Italiane which was French fries smothered in meat sauce topped with mozzarella. My wife and I split a very generous portion with plenty left over. It was a fine introduction to indigenous Canadian cuisine.

Riviere du Loup (you were close) is a very nice area. Thats where they have a ST Huberts. Yummy poutine there! You were only about 1.5 hours away from me!

Was introduced to McPoutine at a Montreal McDonald's a few years ago...tried it out of curiousity and fell in love! (OK - my bad for eating at McD's in Montreal, where it's almost impossible not to find great food, but was in big hurry) Later sought out more authentic poutine in proper restaurants - YUM! Everytime I explain it to someone, they seem nauseated by the idea but wind up liking it if they try!

Ive not yet tried them, one day maybe .... I like fries or rather chips here ! with gravy, chips with cheese, and even chips with cheese and gravy ... but thats cheddar cheese, not sure what the curd cheese would taste like ... a little apprehensive :)

Its very mild tasting,like mozerella.

Miss Kitty, the cheese curds are cheddar! Cheddar is made by pressing these curds into bricks. it's just that these are the unpressed curds. They taste basically like very mild, soft cheddar.

Ate a lot of Poutine in Montreal in 2002. Was especially good at Olympic stadium where I ate it with Montreal smoked meat sandwiches.

There are 2 type of cheese curds...the cheddar type and the white,mozerrella type. I use the white.

hehe aye yes I am aware of how cheddar is made [:P ]Just the nearest thing to what those curds look like over here is what we would call Cottage Cheese. And whilst I like cottage cheese very much, especially the way it squeaks against your teeth when you eat it I was a bit dubious as how those would taste with fries and gravy. But if its as you say, little lumps/pieces of cheddarish substance, I can see how that would work :)

No, it's definitely not cottage cheese! The Quebecois are crazy, but they're not THAT crazy.

Regarding poutine, I'm with Bart Simpson: Disgusting, and yet strangely compelling. (Never had the pleasure, so far...)

Has anyone ever written much on the roadfood cuisine of Quebec? It is something I would like to know more about.

Mmmmmmm, loves that poutine. I had plenty of it when I vacationed in Montreal a couple of years ago. Nowhere else outside of Quebec does it better.

BTW, if you visit Montreal, try their smoked meat sandwiches. There are plenty of delis in the area that serve this up. Its like a New York style pastrami only done up differently. The best place for this sandwich is Scwartz's in the heart of downtown (strangely enough, they don't serve poutine there!).

Ingredients:

4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and soaked
vegetable oil for frying
1 cup cheddar cheese curds

Gravy
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1½ cups beef stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp dried parsley
fresh cracked pepper
salt
Tabasco sauce to taste


directions:

1. To make gravy, melt butter in deep skillet. Once liquid, mix flour until it reaches a nice semi-solid consistency. Add beef stock and continue to mix. Add soy sauce and spices and let simmer at medium-high for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit aside.

2. Pour enough oil to deep fry the potatoes into a suitable pot. Let it heat on high. Meanwhile, slice potatoes into fries. Once oil is hot, fry them until golden brown. Let dry on a paper towel.

3. To serve, start by reheating the gravy. To a serving bowl add a layer of fries followed by a generous layer of curds. Repeat to make another fries/curds layer. Finally, pour piping hot gravy over it all.

Damn that looks good!!!!............... that hot-dog does not look Canadian, .is it?

never mind it is Canadian I found it ..... at http://www.domesticgoddess.ca/

I live in Quebec

Poutine is our national food

quote:

Originally posted by MissKitty

hehe aye yes I am aware of how cheddar is made [:P ]Just the nearest thing to what those curds look like over here is what we would call Cottage Cheese. And whilst I like cottage cheese very much, especially the way it squeaks against your teeth when you eat it I was a bit dubious as how those would taste with fries and gravy. But if its as you say, little lumps/pieces of cheddarish substance, I can see how that would work :)

the curds melt from the hot fries and gravy and become melted and stringy

I love poutine. Can't get it here, so I pine for it.

I became a fan of Poutine when I visited Nova Scotia, PEI and the rest of Canada. I really enjoy a gravy with my fries.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Ive never had the pleasure but have seen it on the food channel. Im not sure what the chedder cheese curd is like but fries with brown gravy and melted velveeta or grated chedder is fantastic.

quote:

Originally posted by AeroDynamic

Poutine is french fries with beef gravy and either cheese curds or mozerella on top. DELISH!

I had this for the first time in Quebec a few years ago. Maybe I didn't find the best place for poutine, but they really didn't turn my head. They were ok, but not spectacular. The ones I had just had cheese and gravy. When you say curd, do you mean like cottage cheese curds? Sounds more interresting with curds IMHO. May need to explore this dish a bit more!