I like Canada, I like Hockey, I like their liberal state of mind, I even like how they talk.So, why not make one of their famed dishes? Eh? Or, is it , ah?
I should come right out and admit this, I mean , right now, before I even open my mouth and ramble any further; I have never actually had real poutine. So, whatever it is I made, tonight, may not even be remotely close to the Canadian classic, in any way.
But! And this is a big but, whatever it was that I did make, was extremely delicious. I kind of sucked it down like I was a hoover vacuum.I might be a pig, it is quite possible.I will try and not think of the amount of calories and fat I just ingested, as that would surely be a buzz-kill.
If you do not have any idea of what I am talking about, which would not be that out of the ordinary, poutine is a Canadian dish of french fries, curds, and a gravy.I think that is it, anyways.
So, I had made once, before, and I worked with that.Well, from what I remembered.I made a gravy, some kind of cheese-like stuff, and of course, the french fries.
I mean, you really cannot go wrong, can you? Potatoes, french fried potatoes, some gravy, and some vegan cheese.I would call that a WIN, folks.
Poutine Ingredients.
- 1 large potato, cut up for frying.
- Oil for frying.
- 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance butter.
- 3 tablespoons of flour.
- 1 and 1/2 cup of vegetable stock.
- 1 tablespoon of worcestershire sauce.
- 1 tablespoon of steak sauce.
- 2 teaspoons of hot sauce.
- 1 teaspoon of paprika.
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder.
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- 1/4th cup of soy milk.
- 1 and 1/3 cup of water.
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- 1 packet of yeast.
- 1 teaspoon of onion powder.
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- 2/3 cup of Daiya cheddar.
- 2/3 cup of Daiya Mozza.
- 2 tablespoons of flour.
- 1 tablespoon of water.
I am not going to go into length about cooking the potatoes, or potato.You may even be using frozen,prepared fries.If not, you know what to do.Heat the oil up, drop the cut up potato into the oil, fry them, remove and place them on some paper towels.
For the gravy, melt the butter in a pan, then stir in the flour, then add the vegetable stock, and all the ingredients up to the water.Stir well, and often, over medium heat, till you have the gravy consistency you want.You have now made the gravy, good for you.
As for the “curds” This what I did: bring the water, yeast, lemon juice, garlic powder, and the onion pwder to a boil, then add the Daiya cheeses.Let that boil till the cheese is melted in, it should slightly bubble and thicken.Mix the tablespoon of water with the two tablespoons of water, add that to the mixture, and it should thicken further.I let this cool in the fridge, for a while, till it became almost hard.
So, really, I would make the “curds” first, let them cool, and when they are ready, make the fries and gravy.So, I just kind of gave the instructions backwards.Brilliant!
Anyways, spoon out the cheese and toss it in with the fries, and top with the gravy.It becomes a nice and tasty mess of yumminess on your plate. Hooray for Canada.Or something.
I think if you do not like french fries there is a good chance you have no soul, dead inside, or in the very least; Mentally unstable.Fried, baked, salted,spicy,crunchy,zest, you name it; They are the shit.
So, being the pig that I am, and loving the all mighty potato as much as I do, I thought I would play around with some different flavors.
So, to begin with, I choose three flavors to begin with.One, tomato basil fries.Two,salt and vinegar fries.Three, Dill pickle fries.This was mainly a trial run, and just me playing around, so I think with more time and work, I may muster up some really unholy flavored fries.
You are going to need to peel and chop a shitload of potatoes, as you can see.If you have some kind of fancy potato chopper/slicer thingy, then feel free to use it.I had to suffer, silently, and chop by hand.
Dill Pickle Fries
- 2 cups of water.
- 2 cups of White Vinegar.
- Half a cup of sugar.
- 2 Tbsp of Salt.
- 3 Tbsp of Dill seasoning.
- 2 Tbsp of Garlic powder.
- 1 Tbsp of Red pepper flakes.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, and let sit, for about an hour, maybe even two, letting the sugar and salt dissolve.Take three cups or one third of your chopped potatoes and place them in the mix and let sit another hour.Place on baking tray and bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes.You could try frying them, but I have no idea how they would turn out that way.
Salt and Vinegar Fries.
- 3 cups of white vinegar.
- 1 cup of water.
- Salt.
These are not truly pickles as there was no pickling involved, but whatever.
Mix the vinegar and water in a bowl, add one third of your potatoes and let soak for about an hour, well, an hour.Place the potatoes on a baking pan, salt heavily, and spray with some cooking spray.Bake for 25 minutes at 400 degrees.
Tomato Basil Fries.
- 14 ounces of tomato sauce.
- 2 Tbsp of Onion powder.
- 2 Tbsp of Garlic powder.
- 3 to 4 tbsp of Basil.
Add all the ingredients in a sauce pan, and cook on simmer for 15 minutes, or so.Pour sauce into a bowl, adding the final third of your chopped potatoes.Let them soak for at least an hour.I cooked mine for 25 minutes at 400 degree, but they were still a bit soggy, so I am thinking they should perhaps cook 30 to 40 minutes, but keep an eye on them.
Usually, I like to douse my fries in ketchup, or some other dipping sauce.But, these really had no need for a dipping sauce, all three stood out on there own.Just use plenty of salt, or not.
Viva fries.
