Traditional Quebec poutine: the French fries with cheese curds and hot gravy

Poutine was born in rural Quebec in the late 1950s, and several towns claim the invention: Warwick, where a customer asked the diner owner to put cheese curds in his bag of fries, and Drummondville, where Jean-Paul Roy says he combined the three ingredients for the first time in 1964. From roadside diner food it became Canada's national dish, served from food trucks to starred restaurants.

The three components have rules. The potatoes are fried twice, to be soft inside and crisp outside. The cheese is fresh cheddar curds, less than a day old, which squeak when bitten and melt only at the edges with the heat of the gravy; fresh coalho cheese in cubes is the closest substitute. And the gravy is a chicken and beef gravy, thickened with flour or starch, hot enough to soften the cheese without melting it completely.

The order of assembly matters: hot fries, cheese on top, boiling gravy last, served immediately. It is winter food, after-the-bar food and everyday food, and a Quebecer will tell you the best one is from the casse-croûte on their corner.

Recipe card

• Origin: Quebec, Canada
• Category: Fries with cheese and gravy, snack or main course
• Difficulty: Easy
• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cooking time: 40 minutes
• Serves: 4

Ingredients — gravy

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in water (if it needs thickening)

Ingredients — potatoes and cheese

• 1 kg starchy potatoes (russet or similar), peeled or unpeeled, in 1 cm sticks
• Oil for deep frying
• 300 g fresh cheddar cheese curds (or fresh coalho cheese in 2 cm cubes)
• Salt

Method

1. Soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes, drain and dry very well.
2. Fry in batches at 150 °C for 5 to 6 minutes, until soft and pale. Drain and set aside.
3. For the gravy, melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 4 to 5 minutes, until light brown and nutty-smelling.
4. Add the stocks gradually, whisking, then the Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, onion and garlic powder. Cook for 10 minutes, until it thickens. Season with salt and pepper and keep very hot.
5. Leave the cheese at room temperature while you work.
6. Fry the potatoes a second time at 190 °C for 3 minutes, until golden. Drain and salt.
7. Assemble immediately: hot fries in the bowl, the cheese scattered on top and the boiling gravy poured over everything.
8. Serve at once, before the cheese melts completely.

Tips and variations

• Squeaky cheese: cheddar curds less than 24 hours old or good-quality fresh coalho cheese, not refrigerated in the last hour.
• Thin gravy runs off; too thick coats like paste. The right point is a sauce that dresses the fries.
• Poutine italienne has bolognese meat sauce; poutine galvaude, shredded chicken and peas.
• A little juice from the Sunday roast enriches the gravy.
• Oven fries make a lighter version, with less crunch.
• Never assemble in advance: poutine is a dish of seconds.
• A little coarsely ground black pepper on top is the Montreal touch.

Poutine is crisp fries, squeaky cheese and hot gravy, the dish Quebec gave the world and all of Canada embraced. Make it with homemade gravy and fresh cheese, and serve it right away.