Homemade Poutine – With pennies to spend

Poutine is one of Canada’s most notable dishes and one of the tastiest comfort foods around.

A plate of hot french fries is topped with cheese curds and doused with hot brown sauce. The sauce melts the cheese a bit for the most perfect dish.

It’s a staple in Canada (and even served at McDonald’s), but there’s nothing quite like homemade poutine.

What is poutine?

A Traditional poutine recipe (pronounced “poo-teen” or “poo-tin” in English, or “poo-tsin” in Quebec) is a bed of french fries topped with cheese curds (not mozzarella cheese) and gravy. Poutine is undoubtedly a Canadian dish, originating in Quebec in the 1950s, although, like many other dishes, its true origin is disputed.

There are different variations across the country and plenty of poutine restaurants too! In Canada, poutine graces almost every menu, including fast-food restaurants.

The ultimate comfort food

• Poutine can be made with homemade fries that have been baked or fried (or store-bought in a pinch).
• It’s packed with crunchy specialty cheeses, smothered in brown sauce.
• It can be customized with your favorite toppings (though these aren’t traditional), from caramelized onions to taco meat.
• It’s an inexpensive meal and so much fun to eat!

Ingredients

French fries: Use oven fries, fry your own fries, or make air fryer fries (or even use frozen ones if you’re in a hurry). When making homemade fries, choose starchy potatoes like red cabbage so they’re crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Poutine sauce: The “sauce” on poutine is a brown sauce that makes the cheese melty and delicious. I prefer a homemade beef gravy made from beef broth or broth, but if you have leftover gravy (or even pre-packaged ones), that works too!

curd: Cheese curds are crumbs of cheese that have been separated from the whey and have a mild, salty flavor. While many people think it’s mozzarella, it’s actually young cheddar. cheese curds won’t melt completely in poutine; Instead, they add a chewy texture to the dish… and they squeak as you eat them!

Store-bought curds are sold in bags and are commonly found in deli (and not always in dairy). If you don’t see them, ask the store where they are.

variations

Depending on where you are in Canada (or the US), poutine comes in different forms, but always with the same three ingredients: french fries, gravy/sauce, and cheese curd.

• Fries: Waffle fries, wedge fries, string fries, even tater tots or sweet potato fries are sometimes used, but good old fries are traditional.
• toppings: For a heartier poutine, a topping of pulled pork, chopped bacon, ground sausage, or seasoned taco meat is an option.
• Cheese: Squeaky curds are used for poutine but can be hard to find depending on where you live. If you can’t get curds, you can get them Substitute with cubes of very mild cheddar or mozzarella (although technically it’s not poutine unless it’s made with cheese curd, but cheese fries with gravy are delicious too).

How to make poutine

1. Cut potatoes into equal-sized pieces and soak in cold water to remove excess starch.
2. Season with oil, salt and pepper and bake in batches or air fry (according to the recipe below).
3. Cook onions in a pan until soft. Add spices.
4. Add beef broth and water and stir until smooth. Let simmer until thickened.

To assemble and serve

Assemble the poutine by placing hot fries on a plate or even in a paper boat or bowl and topping with cheese curds. Pour hot sauce over and serve immediately. While highly controversial, I love adding ketchup when serving.

Poutine Tips

• With the air fryer you can prepare fresh or frozen fries in just a few minutes!
• Cheese curd is best served at room temperature, so have it ready while the rest of the dish is being prepared.
• Make sure the fries and sauce are hot so the curds melt.
• Have lots of napkins ready!

Our favorite french fries

Did you make this homemade poutine? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!