Hot gravy is happy poutine.

I will take a moment, to apologize to Canada and confess: I've never had true poutine.

This is but a humble, hungry attempt at the most perfect food.



Poutine
brown gravy over fries and cheese curds

(serves 2-3)


for the gravy
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 1/2 cup broth (I used all chicken broth and added beef bouillon. Recipe called for 1 can chicken, 2 cans beef broth)

salt and pepper, to taste


In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into your water. Set aside.

In a saucepan, melt the butter. Add flour and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until golden brown. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.

Add the broth and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Stir in cornstarch and simmer for 3-5 minutes until sauce thickens.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste.


for the cheese curds
I didn't have cheesecloth to make fresh cheese curds this first time around, so I did a terrible (but still delicious) thing and substituted Mexican Oaxaca Cheese. It is similar to mozzarella, but made with cow's milk - the curds are taken a step further in the cheesemaking process and heated to string cheese texture. It is very easy to find in my local grocery store in Texas, but should you find yourself in a pinch and unable to make fresh curds I would opt for fresh mozzarella as a substitute. Fresh cheese curds are difficult to find in the States!

If you are prepped and ready to make your own fresh cheese curds, I'll share the ingredients and recipe below, and I'll update this with my results once I get a chance to try it myself.


1 quart milk
5 tablespoons lemon juice
salt

cheesecloth
something heavy

Heat milk in a saucepan to near scalding, stirring to ensure even heating. Watch for a skin to form on the surface of the milk, or bubbles around the edges of your saucepan.

Remove from heat and allow to cool for a minute or two.

Add lemon juice, stir gently and completely. Watch your hot milk as it separates into curds and whey. Allow to cool further.

Line a sieve with cheesecloth, pouring in your curds and whey mixture to separate the curds from the whey. You may discard the whey, or keep it for a buttermilk/sour milk substitute.

Unwrap and add a bit of salt to your curds, tossing to incorporate with fingers.

Re-wrap and press your curds into shape, setting your something heavy (a gallon of water/milk, large can, etc works well) atop the curds to press and mold them. Leave for 1-3 hours.

Once your curds have set, crumble or cut as desired.


for the fries
3 large Idaho or russet potatoes (I would say 1 per person)
oil for frying (peanut, olive oil, vegetable oil...whatever you like to use. I used olive oil.)

Wash potatoes and cut to preference, both thin julienne and thick cut fries will be amazing. Trust me.

Fry.


for poutine assembly
Try as best you can to keep your gravy and fries HOT when assembling.

Hot gravy is happy poutine.

For each serving, layer half your cheese curds first on the plate. Add hot fries portion. Sprinkle the remaining cheese curds atop the fries.

Pour that hot gravy lovingly and generously atop the whole glorious mess.

Serve and eat immediately.


credit to: 
Banger's Sausage House & Beer Garden in Austin, TX for the first taste of poutine and resulting obsession
gravy recipe adapted from here.
cheese curds recipe adapted from here.
poutine guide from here.