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Chex Mix
Lidey Heuck
238 ratings with an average rating of 4 out of 5 stars
238
1 hour, plus cooling
Published May 15, 2024
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Prep the potatoes: Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water. Peel potatoes, then slice them into ⅓-inch-thick planks. Slice each plank into fries, about ⅓-inch thick, and place in the water. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (This helps rid the fries of excess starch.)
Make the gravy: In a small pot over medium, melt the butter. Add shallot and garlic, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour. When combined, cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the beef and chicken stocks, thyme sprigs, ketchup, vinegar and ¼ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until the gravy is thickened yet pourable and coats the back of a spoon, 7 to 9 minutes. Season with Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, if desired. Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.
Make the fries: Before heating the oil for frying, set out the cheese curds to allow them to come to room temperature. Fit a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a clip-on fry thermometer. Add enough oil to fill 2 to 3 inches. Heat over medium-high until the temperature of the oil reaches 325 degrees.
Meanwhile, line a sheet pan with paper towels. Drain and rinse potatoes, then transfer to the prepared pan. Thoroughly blot the potatoes to rid them of excess water. Fit a second sheet pan with a wire rack.
When the oil has come to temperature, add fries in batches to avoid overcrowding (this will take 3 or 4 batches). Fry until lightly golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a spider or a fine-mesh metal strainer to remove fries, allowing excess oil to drip back into the Dutch oven, and transfer them to the rack on the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining fries, working in batches and adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain the temperature.
After all the potatoes have been fried, increase the temperature of the oil to 375 degrees. Wipe off the first sheet pan and line it with new paper towels. Gently reheat the gravy over low heat, partially covered. When the oil has come to temperature, return the lightly browned fries to the Dutch oven, again working in 3 to 4 batches. Fry until dark golden brown and just crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the paper towels and sprinkle generously with salt. Repeat with the remaining fries.
Assemble the poutine: Scatter half the cheese curds on the bottom of a large shallow bowl or platter. Top with the fries and the remaining cheese curds. Pour warm gravy over everything, removing thyme sprigs if desired. The cheese curds will soften but not melt. Eat immediately (with forks)!
Cheese on the bottom? Unheard of. (But worth trying. For science.) They won’t be quite as fresh as day-of, unrefrigerated cheese curds straight from the dairy, but some Wisconsin cheesemakers (like Gardner’s, which I recommend) will overnight excellent cheese curds to US locations and they often arrive still squeaky. (In Quebec, we often call curds or fromage en grains “le fromage squick-squick”—a beautiful onomatopoeia if ever there was one!)
Halloumi isn't a bad substitute. I've also used microwave mozzarella: https://cheesemaking.com/products/30-minute-mozzarella-recipe . Just cut and roll smaller curds at the final step.
I risk having to give up my Canadian passport by telling you this, but I'm in the boonies in California, and I have had the opportunity to make a completely reasonable poutine with frozen fries, Aldi cheese curds, and--believe it or not--Bisto vegetable gravy granules, available on Amazon. The Bisto gravy is vegan, so your vegan friends can still have fries and gravy. It's good gravy! I say this as someone who lived in Montréal for 8 years and ate my weight in poutine several times over.
I'll bet thar Indian paneer cubes would work beautifully for the curds.
I only cared a little for poutine until I tried lobster poutine at a now-defunct lobster shack in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada, called Ship to Shore. It was awesome, and it was the only time I ordered this dish. I will be on the East Coast this summer, where I will pick up some authentic squeaky cheese. I plan to adapt this recipe to try and recreate that awesome Ship to Shore version.
I risk having to give up my Canadian passport by telling you this, but I'm in the boonies in California, and I have had the opportunity to make a completely reasonable poutine with frozen fries, Aldi cheese curds, and--believe it or not--Bisto vegetable gravy granules, available on Amazon. The Bisto gravy is vegan, so your vegan friends can still have fries and gravy. It's good gravy! I say this as someone who lived in Montréal for 8 years and ate my weight in poutine several times over.
Excellent cheese curds at Cheese Factory in West Jefferson, NC. Toujours frais!
Try with spaghetti sauce and roquefort cheese (Blue cheese), or gravy with wine and lobster & foie gras, or German sausage and camembert cheese, or steak, cheddar and cognac sauce !!!
A tip I learned from a friend from Montreal.... If you can't find cheese curds, cut up mozzarella strings into pieces. It has a similar consistency and melting point.
Cheese on the bottom? Unheard of. (But worth trying. For science.) They won’t be quite as fresh as day-of, unrefrigerated cheese curds straight from the dairy, but some Wisconsin cheesemakers (like Gardner’s, which I recommend) will overnight excellent cheese curds to US locations and they often arrive still squeaky. (In Quebec, we often call curds or fromage en grains “le fromage squick-squick”—a beautiful onomatopoeia if ever there was one!)
I'm a former Montréaler living in Germany (where curds do not exist outside of one poutine shop in Berlin); does anyone have experience with making their own curds?
Halloumi isn't a bad substitute. I've also used microwave mozzarella: https://cheesemaking.com/products/30-minute-mozzarella-recipe . Just cut and roll smaller curds at the final step.
We love poutine and I was so excited to find this recipe! Was short on time, but wanted to try it out, so used frozen french fries tonight . I shook them up in a bag with olive oil first, so they were nice and crisp. The poutine turned out surprisingly well. Love the gravy. I’m looking forward to trying it next time with actual potatoes.
The secret of best poutine is the freshness of the curds. They are best when acquired the day they were made or in the last day or 2. Also, Québec stores do not refrigerate cheese curds and keek them at room temperature until consumption. The refrigeration process alter the humidity balance and hinder the experience. Finally, fresh made fries are also key.
Or you can parboil the fries first. Basically boil them to 65-70% done. It will reduce the starch in about 6-8 minutes vs an hour plus, and allows you to fry them in oil only once. Which I find faster and less of a hassle when frying potatoes. I dare a taste tester to find any difference.
Thanks for the gravy recipe, it is delicious! Here in Mtl, the gravy is often made with vegetable stock, perhaps so everyone can eat the poutine (well, you do have to find faux-mage if you’re vegan). Real fresh curd doesn’t have to be brought to room temp, because it has never been in a fridge. You can tell, ‘cause it squeaks when you bite it. I didn’t remember to put curds on the bottom, I’ve never had it that way. Someone tell me if it’s better like that!
The best Cheese Curds are from Cuba Cheese Factory. In Cuba, NY. Cuba is a great stop if you are in Western New York or the Finger Lake region, The Curds are so fresh, they squeak! Perfect for Poutine!
I agree! When I was a college student in Rochester, NY these cheese curds were a revelation to me.
Quick shortcut: for homemade French fries without waiting overnight, sprinkle white granulated sugar on the cut, prepared potatoes in a colander. Leave them like that in your sink. In less than an hour, the sugar will have absorbed most of the starch. Rinse and dry the potatoes immediately before roasting.
Quebec Poutine is made with vegetable stock.
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