Homemade Poutine Recipe | The Modern Proper (2024)

Fries covered in cheese curds and then a super savory beefy gravy so the curds get all melty? Yeah, poutine is the BEST. Here’s how to make it.

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Homemade Poutine Recipe | The Modern Proper (1)

Photography by Gayle McLeod

Thank You, Canada, For Creating The Best Post-Drinks Snack in the World.

Indulgence, thy name is poutine. Squeaky melty curds, meaty rich gravy, and of course, perfectly crispy fries make for a platter of perfectly gooey and delightfully messy diner food as only the Quebecois could have dreamt up! And let’s be honest about the craving that poutine satisfies. Poutine is the ultimate post-drinks food. You stumble out of a bar with a gaggle of your best buds, and you know that you need something super hearty, super umami-ish, super delicious to soak up all those cocktails. The neon in the window of the diner across the street shines like a beacon—you’re gonna be OK. You scoot into a red vinyl booth and order the food of the gods—poutine to the rescue! But wait—you’re old! You don’t get drunk at bars anymore! You don’t live in NYC or Montreal anymore or within two blocks of a cute diner. And yet—you still crave poutine. Or at least, we do! So what’s a poutine-lover to do? You’ve got to make your own poutine! And so, we give you: Our best poutine recipe!

Homemade Poutine Recipe | The Modern Proper (2)

What is Poutine?

Similar to—but not the same as—disco fries, poutine is a delightful dive bar / diner snack that’s made up of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. YEAH. WE KNOW. Genius. Pure genius. The beefy, meaty, savory gravy is all hot and lovely and when you pour it over the cheese-topped fries, the heat of the gravy melts the cheese curds and you end up with a super messy, richy, salty meal—yeah, it’s a meal—that is ideal for sharing. Some people dig in with their hands, but we think of it as definitely fork-worthy.

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The Very Best Poutine Gravy Recipe, Ever!

Our poutine gravy is pretty classic—a beefy, brown sauce that comes together fast and does what you need it to do! It ups the savory ante and it melts the curds into their gooey-squeaky best selves. Here’s what’s in our super yummy, beef poutine gravy:

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Let’s Talk Cheese Curds for Poutine

You know what cheese curds are, right? Well, if you’re from the Midwest, you probably do! If not, they might not be quite as familiar. Cheese curds are—as it sounds like they would be—the curds that are separated from the whey (the liquid or watery part of milk) in the cheesemaking process. When making hard cheeses, curds are pressed into big rounds or rectangles, but some people like to cut them up—unshaped and unpressed—and eat them right away! A fresh, salty, milky treat with an iconic ‘squeaky’ texture, they’re a key poutine ingredient. You’ve just gotta have them!

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How to Make Poutine

OK, you’ve got your components gathered! You’ve made the greatest fries, you’ve whipped up a deliciously beefy gravy, you’ve bought some yummy cheese curds and managed not to eat them all. You’re ready to make poutine!

  1. Make the best fries you possibly can! Our poutine recipe starts with homemade fries, but you don’t have to break out the deep-fryer for this (that’s a relief, right?). Baked fries are just so much easier, and we actually think that a little less grease is nice, since you’ll be drenching them in gravy anyway.

  2. Make the gravy! Get it simmering in a saucepan while the fries bake.

  3. Assemble your poutine! See, that actually wasn’t that much work after all! You can divide it between four individual plates, or serve it mounded on a big platter for sharing. Just be sure to get the order right! First the fries, then the curds, then drizzle it all with lots of hot gravy. By the time people are digging in, the curds should be getting good and melty.

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Tools You’ll Need:

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Too Much of a Good Thing

We love recipes like this—pure, unabashed delight! Food for the sake of “hey this tastes good!”. Poutine is nothing but fun and we’re ALL about it. We hope you love it as much as we do! When you make it, we want to hear all about it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

Homemade Poutine Recipe | The Modern Proper (2024)

FAQs

What are the 3 things that poutine is made of? ›

The basic recipe only calls for three ingredients: french fries, cheese curds, and gravy.

What is the poutine gravy made of? ›

Butter: Use unsalted butter so you can control the amount of salt in the gravy. All-purpose flour: Equal parts flour and butter are combined to create a roux. This is what makes the gravy so thick and creamy! Beef broth: Use reduced sodium beef broth to prevent an overly salty gravy.

What is the American equivalent of poutine? ›

The original Québec poutine now has cousins in the rest of Canada! In the United States, some restaurants of New York and New Jersey propose their own mix of fries, gravy and cheese, called « Disco Fries ». In Latin America, we can enjoy a poutine on the isolated beach of Zipolite island in Mexico.

How is poutine traditionally made? ›

poutine, a Canadian dish made of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. It first appeared in 1950s rural Québec snack bars and was widely popularized across Canada and beyond in the 1990s. Poutine may be found everywhere from fine dining menus at top restaurants to fast-food chains.

What does poutine mean in English? ›

The Dictionnaire historique du français québécois lists 15 meanings of poutine in Québécois and Acadian French, most of which are for kinds of food; the word poutine in the meaning "fries with cheese and gravy" is dated to 1982 in English. Other senses of the word have been in use since at least 1810.

What's the difference between cheese curds and poutine? ›

Cheese curds are a main ingredient in poutine, which originated in the 1950s in rural Quebec, Canada. It consists of french fries topped with fresh cheese curds, covered with brown gravy and sometimes additional ingredients.

Is there a difference between poutine gravy and regular gravy? ›

Poutine Gravy always contains some form of a Tomato product (usually Ketchup). Gravy typically doesn't unless tomato paste is included while making the Stock or Broth, and even still, Gravy doesn't include Ketchup.

What kind of cheese is used for poutine? ›

Original Quebec poutine is made with white cheddar cheese curds. Although I prefer the beef gravy described here, there is also poutine gravy which I believe is a thinner chicken gravy.

What is poutine now called? ›

Le Roy Jucep, which has touted that it invented poutine, wrote in a Feb. 24 Facebook post that it was changing the name to “la frite fromage sauce” — the fry cheese gravy. The post also revealed “a revised logo sporting Ukrainian blue and yellow,” Eater Montreal reported.

What is the closest cheese to poutine? ›

They say it's not real poutine if you can't hear the squeak of the cheese. Of course, the likelihood is you won't be able to find any. So the next best thing and the closest in texture is a really good mozzarella.

Are cheese curds legal in the US? ›

(Raw or unpasteurized milk is banned in the United States, but luckily, cheese curds are 100 percent legal!) Once added, good bacteria called starter cultures and an enzyme called rennet begin to curdle the milk, with no trace of the sneaky ingredient found in shredded cheese.

Can you buy cheese curds in the US? ›

Cheese curds are typically only sold and found near locations that have a cheese factory because of the way in which they are created. Ideally, they are eaten very soon after they are manufactured. Our cheese factory has operated since 1930 and remains one of the surviving niche cheese factories in the states.

What is an Irish poutine? ›

Poitín (in English, this is pronounced roughly as poteen or pocheen) can be described as Irish moonshine. A mostly rural product, it was made of potatoes, in some cases, and barley, in others. Poitín was produced on small pot stills, originally over peat fires.

Why does poutine taste good? ›

The cheese is mellow and creamy. Combine that with a rich gravy that marries the two while also adding savoriness and you've got a winner of an appetizer (or meal!). The experience of eating this street food is a bit like a choose-your-own-adventure story.

What is classic poutine made of? ›

It's not just chips and gravy, my friend: this is classic Canadian poutine. A delicious concoction of crispy fries, rich gravy and cheese curds, this is the indulgent dive bar snack that makes everything right with the world. This is how Canada does comfort food and I am so.

What is French poutine made of? ›

Poutine is an absolutely divine dish composed of fries topped with cheese curds and hot gravy. Though it's not officially Canada's national food (this is actually the subject of some contention), it might as well be.

What are curds made of? ›

The key ingredients for cheese curds are pasteurized milk, starter culture, and rennet. Milk serves as the base for curds, the starter culture contains the bacteria necessary for fermentation, and rennet helps the milk separate into curds.

Does poutine have any meat? ›

Poutine purists will insist that Poutine is solely French fries, cheese curds and gravy. While that is 100% accurate, adding smoked meat, with its succulent flavour and characteristic smokiness, elevates this hearty comfort food. This dish is indulgent and not for the faint of heart.

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