Poutine (Not from Scratch)

I had every intention of making this the hard way, until I actually read some recipes.  You have to cook the meat to get drippings for the gravy, slice and fry the potatoes, and goodness help you if you choose to make the cheese curds yourself.  The link is for an easier version that uses canned broth.

There was also the leftovers factor.  I don't cook every day, and fries don't reheat well.  If I ever make this for a party, I'll get out the gigantic deep fryer and at least do that part right.  Frozen potato sticks are easy to pop in the oven in small batches.

The cheese curds were the hard part.  I had to wait a few months for Sprouts to get them in stock.  They did, just in time for Canada Day, which I fail to see as a coincidence.  I didn't feel like going to Whole Foods for just one item, although that's about all I can afford there.  If you can't find the white cheddar curds, diced white cheddar or those little mozzarella balls can be used.

This is not trying to be exactly like true Canadian poutine.  It's the cheap American knock-off that you can make in 20 minutes for a backyard BBQ.  If no one has ever had the real thing, they won't know the difference.  Maybe someday I'll post a truer version, but don't hold your breath.

4 C frozen unseasoned french fries, the thicker cut
*1 packet brown gravy mix (4 servings)
1 C white cheddar curds
black pepper to taste

1.  Preheat oven and cook fries according to package directions.  Some brands may want you to fry them.  The store-brand ones came out just fine in the oven.

2.  While the fries are going, prepare gravy according to the packet, adding black pepper as desired.  Plenty of black pepper is a thing in poutine gravy.

3.  Mound hot fries on serving plate.  Distribute curds evenly on fries.  Pour hot gravy over everything, making sure it hits the curds so they can get oozy.  Serve hot.  The fork in the photo is not a mistake.  You're supposed to eat these with one.  Canada is more civilized than the U.S.

Difficulty rating  π