French Fries with Curd Cheese and Gravy (Québec Poutine)

Montreal's gastronomic achievements may have reached dizzying heights, but the province of Québec will forever be known as the place where poutine fries began. An unabashedly hearty mixture of French-fried potatoes, beef gravy, and squeaky-fresh cheese curds, this Canadian french fries dish is the ultimate late-night party snack. This dish originated in rural Québec, in the late 1950s. Several Québecois communities claim to be the birthplace of poutine, including Drummondville (by Jean-Paul Roy in 1964), Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, and Victoriaville. One often-cited tale is that of Fernand Lachance, from Warwick, Québec, which claims that poutine was invented there in 1957; Lachance is said to have exclaimed, "ça va faire une maudite poutine" ("it will make a damn mess") when asked to put a handful of curds on some french fries, hence the name. The sauce was allegedly added later, to keep the fries warm longer. Over time the dish's popularity spread mainly across the province (and later throughout Canada), often served in small town restaurants, bars, as well as being quite popular in ski resorts.

For the Fries:
5 large Yukon gold potatoes.

For the Gravy:
4½ cups beef, Chicken or veal stock (1 L)
1 red onion
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
¼ cup butter
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dark balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked
2 tsp. sea salt

For the Cheese:
1 cup curd cheese

For the Gravy:  In a pot bring the stock to a boil. In a sauce pan sautee the onions until caramelized than sauté the garlic until brown. Then combine the fat and flour and stir to form a pale roux. Then slowly whisk in the roux in to the stock and add the remainder of the ingredients. Reduce until consistency of gravy is reached, up to an hour if necessary.

For the Fries: Use a French fry cutter to process them or cut them to your desired size, I also leave the peel on however you can remove if you prefer. Store cut fries in cold water for an hour up to 24 hrs to achieve very crispy fries. Drain water and pat dry fries.

Deep fry them at 250°F (120°C) for 3-4 minutes and remove onto paper towel to absorb excess oil. After they are rested for 5-10 minutes, deep fry again at 330°F (165°C) until golden brown.

To Serve:  Place hot fries in a a shallow bowl, top with a ¼ cup of cheese curds followed by a generous ladle of thick gravy.

Cook's Note: To add extra flare top with crisp bacon, sprinkled blue cheese and/or fresh chives.