It may sound like the last name of the Russian president and it is indeed pronounced the same way as it is a French word, but this potato-based dish is a true delicacy!
According to some, the dish was created by chance in Quebec, in 1957, when a customer in a Montreal restaurant asked the owner to make him fried potato sticks with gravy sauce and bites of cheese. To this request, the owner’s answer apparently was: ‘ça va etre une maudite poutine,’ that is ‘I'll make a damn mess’ in French.
Let's start from a necessary premise: the incredible amount of cultures and traditions that intersect in this city means that there is no real typical cuisine. You can really eat all the cuisines in the world but when it comes to a typical dish people may think of poutine is the answer.
Canadian cuisine is typically regional, its origins are linked to English domination and American cuisine, but there are influences or renewals of French cuisine.
In the west of the country, the cuisine has been influenced, in addition to those already mentioned, also by the Italian, Ukrainian, Polish and Scandinavian cuisine.
Nonetheless Canadians are proud of their culture and cuisine.
But let's start with the basics: what's inside the Poutine? French fries and cheese and a thick sauce made from broth and flour on top and it’s easy to make at home:
Ingredients
300 grams of frozen chips
100 grams of cheese curds
For the sauce:
1 quart of chicken broth
50 grams of flour
50 grams of butter
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Boil the broth in a saucepan, add the butter and flour and cook over high heat for about 3 minutes. Then lower the heat and continue to cook it for another half hour. Fry the chips in plenty of oil. Once ready, put a few pieces of cheese on the bottom, place the chips and then more cheese and finally the nice hot sauce. You will find that the cheese will begin to melt and I assure you that it is a very pleasant moment especially for your palate.
Now that I have begun to know poutine, and to taste it in different places, I can honestly admit that it is a more complicated dish than expected: everyone is able to throw a sauce made to the right and better on the chips, but actually little to spoil the dish, especially in relation to the flavour of the broth.
There are some variants that I haven't had the courage to try yet adding bacon bits or veggie bits.
Also worth mentioning is Acadian cuisine.
An integral part of French-Canadian heritage, Acadian cuisine stands out for its history and its distinct flavours.
Acadian recipes use local products such as potatoes and stewed meats, but also seafood.
The cuisine is hearty, warm and delicious.
Forget the fries and gravy.
Traditional Acadian poutine is a mixture of grated raw potatoes and mashed cooked potatoes that are shaped into a ball with, in the centre, a bite of bacon and salted pork. Preparation requires method and the result is suitable for eaters with a strong appetite!
These strange potato globes stuffed with meat are part of my Acadian heritage.
This traditional dish is hard to find in stores and takes a long time to make.
