Poutine. I love to say it. I love to eat it. What's not to love? French Fries. Gravy. Cheese. GOD BLESS CANADA.
Ever since I tried making beer fries, thanks to the recipe from my pals Evan and Stacy, I knew I had to use my new fry-making powers for poutine. I don't make gravy very often (for shame!), so I wasn't sure what kind to make. At some point the random (and brilliant!!) idea to make a bacon broth got into my brain. At the time I fancied myself a genius. Upon further research I think the idea was originally planted by the Momofuko cookbook, in which David Chang shares his recipe for bacon broth for ramen.
So I am not the first one to think of bacon broth. Of course I'm not! With a bit of google-fu, I came across Ideas In Food's Bacon broth recipe which had jalapenos in it. This got me excited, because the flavors of bacon and jalapeno on fries is a total win. It would also make me feel better about using a cheese other than cheese curds, which are hard to come by. I wanted to use a fresh, young cheese, because cheese curds are like fresh little baby cheeses! Since I was using jalapeno, I went with a Mexican cheese, Cojita. Queso Fresco would work well, also.
That's right. I took a Canadian Dish and gave it Mexican flavors. AMERICA SANDWICH.
Bacon Jalapeno Beer Fries Poutine
Bacon Jalapeno Broth
-1/2 lb. bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
-1 small onion, sliced
-3 garlic cloves, smashed
-1 shallot, sliced
-2 fresh jalapenos, sliced
-8 cups water
Cook the bacon slowly. Once it's not-quite to the crisp stage, add the onions, garlic, shallot and jalapenos. Cook until everything is soft and just starting to brown. Add the water and lower the heat. SImmer lightly for 45 minutes to an hour. Let cool to room temperature and strain. Discard the solids. Chill until the fat floats on the top. Strain off fat. Store in the fridge.
Beer Fries
-2 lbs. russet potatoes, cut into fries
-2 12 oz. beers (use one you like... the taste is noticeable in the finished product)
-olive oil and salt
Soak the fries in the beer for about 20 minutes. drain and shake to dry. Toss the fries with olive oil and salt. Spread in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown delicious.
THE Gravy
-2 Tablespoons bacon grease or butter
-3 Tablepoons flour
-2 cups bacon jalapeno broth
-salt to taste
Cook bacon grease and flour together until it becomes a brownish pasty roux. Add the broth and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Let simmer for just a couple minutes until it reaches your desired thickness. Serve over beer fries and top with crumbled Cojita cheese and chopped fresh jalapeno.
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3 comments:
Being Acadian French, I highly approve of this recipe! I like the lightness of "the gravy" and the heat doesn't hurt either... nicely done!
omg this sounds amazing. love the photo too.
you've got some french fry cutting skills. mine never look that good!
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