One Tasty Mess

According to the internet, the natives of the Maple Leaf country are generally identified being the most polite, civilised people on Earth. Though I personally never met any Canadian only that says sorry at every possible occasions, but I've heard from my travelling relatives that some Canucks that they've encountered displayed a very pleasant disposition - but that is different from apologising all the time. There are some other stereotypes that I can't help but identify Canada with, but take it from me, Canadians are the best in loving their quirks no matter what and be proud to be united as a country.

O Canada.... the glorious and the proud.

As a regular 9Gagger and a fan of countryball meme, I've seen some examples of how people outside of Canada try to make sense of these stereotypes. Making things into a parody or humorous anecdotes is the easiest way out to talk about things in such a way that the jokes become less offensive in tone. And amazingly, the representatives whose country was parodied gave mostly devil-may-care responses and laughed along with the jokes. The countryball comics helped bringing the risible atmosphere, and everyone was happily entertained.

Still in the topic of being a faithful 9Gagger, there's been a trend of posting drool-making quick food how-tos, and I have to say that Canada wins this one with a huge margin. Because once I searched the Québécois' most comforting junk food, I realised that there might be an actual kitchen in hell, filled with fat-inducing devil's food.

The magic word is... poutine. (Read it with a French Canadian accent to kick it up a notch)

King of Fries

It might not be the prettiest looking food in the world, nor I have found any pictures of this potato delicacy that look properly edible, but if you've had a bad serving of frozen french fries, you definitely want to eat this tasty mess. Poutine consists of (a lot of) french fries topped with gravy usually mushroom gravy and cheese curds. Some variations of it include chipped bacons, scallions, melted cheese, peas, onions, feta cheese, and many more. Basically, the bigger the mess you make, the better.



This dish came from rural Quebec in the late 1950s, but the precise point of origin is everyone's to claim, it seems, as some has stated that it came from Drummondville, Saint-Jean-sur-Richilieu, and Victoriaville. One of the most cited tale is that a restaurant owner named Fernand Lachance once exclaimed "ça va faire une maudite poutine!" (it will make a damn mess!) when he was asked by his regular Eddy Lainesse to add a charitable amount of cheese curds on his french fries. Many believed that it was the moment where the name originated from. As for the gravy, it was used to keep the fries warm longer. As expected, the dish gained fame quickly as the recipe spread throughout Canada, most often found in local grills and ski resorts.

Though some major fast food franchises in the Northern America have added poutine into their regular menu, unfortunately I haven't encountered any of those brands in my country that sell this dish (damn). But worry no more, for those who are curious of how heavenly poutine tastes, because there are bazillion recipes for poutine plus its variations on the web that will help you satisfy your crave. If you have tried poutine, lucky you. If you haven't, go make it. Now. Go. Hurry. Before your nutritionist catches you.

Here is the recipe of classic gravy poutine:

INGREDIENTS

4 lb. russet potatoes, skin-on, washed and dried
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
¼ cup flour
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups beef stock
2 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. whole green peppercorns
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Canola oil, for frying
2 cups cheddar cheese curds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut potatoes into lengths of about ¼" x ¼" x 4". Place in a large bowl, cover with cold water, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour, and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add shallot and garlic, and cook, until soft, about 2 minutes. Add stock, ketchup, vinegar, peppercorns, Worcestershire, and salt and pepper, and bring to a boil; cook, stirring, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat, and keep gravy warm.

3. Pour oil to a depth of 3" in a 6-qt. Dutch oven, and heat over medium heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325°. Drain potatoes, and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Working in small batches, add potatoes and fry, tossing occasionally, until tender and slightly crisp, about 4 minutes.

4. Drain on paper towels, and let cool for 20 minutes. Increase temperature to medium-high, and heat oil until it reads 375°. Working in small batches, return potatoes to oil, and fry, tossing occasionally, until crisp and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer fries to paper towels to drain briefly, and then divide among serving bowls. Pour gravy over each serving of fries, and top with cheese curds; serve immediately.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poutine
http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Classic-Gravy-Fries
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