Recipe: Vegetarian Baked Poutine

by Cornelius Robbins

Just in time for the NHL playoffs, I’d like to present a little taste of Canada: poutine. It can be as simple as a packet of gravy over frozen fries with some shredded cheddar, or as complicated as a braised and stewed duck extravaganza under a soft, luxurious blanket of brie. It can be as commodified as a to-go box from a Canadian Burger King, or as authentic as a giant pile of steaming potatoes, bacon, gravy and cheese curds at a hockey rink in Montreal. It can be as traditionally Canadian as possible, with just fries, gravy and cheese or it can be hip and trendy, with kimchi, hot dogs, Sriracha, meatballs, tomato sauce, etc. Basically, you can do whatever you want with it, as long as you’ve got a base, a layer of savory liquid and some cheese that ties it all together.

For this recipe, we’re going to stick pretty close to the roots of the dish by focusing on the fries and the gravy. This particular recipe is vegetarian, so just about anyone can enjoy it!


MATERIALS:


INGREDIENTS FOR FRIES:

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INGREDIENTS FOR GRAVY:


INSTRUCTIONS:

(1) Fries first. Preheat your oven to a toasty 450 F. Mix the seasonings together in some olive oil (1/4 cup should be enough).

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Slice all your potatoes lengthwise into fries, then toss them into the mixture until the fries are well-coated. Place the sweet potato fries and russet potato fries on a greased baking sheet, making sure they’re all spread out.

Maryrose Kulick / Daily Bruin

Maryrose Kulick / Daily Bruin

Then, layer the Yukon gold potato fries on top of the others. Once all the fries are on the sheet, sprinkle some rosemary on top, and toss them in the oven for around 35 minutes. Pull them out when they’re nice and crispy, or fork tender. Don’t worry if some are a little burned – it’s all part of the fun. Sprinkle some extra salt and seasonings on them, and move on.

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(2) Now for the gravy. Lightly brown the onions and chopped garlic in a large pot on medium heat, seasoning them with salt and pepper.

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Once you can smell them from 5 feet away, increase the heat and add the vegetable broth and peppercorns. When the broth is about to boil, lower the heat back to medium and slowly stir in the flour, making sure to keep it from clumping. Then, throw in the chopped green onions, and keep stirring. Don’t forget to add the beer and the Worcestershire sauce to give it that real gravy taste. Taste the mixture frequently to make sure it has the right spiciness and consistency for your palate. If it seems too runny, add some more flour, and if it’s too thick, add some more broth, water or beer and continue stirring. Add seasonings to taste.

(3) Once your gravy has reached a consensus with your taste buds, pile up your fries in the casserole dish – layering cheese curds in between them as you go – and drizzle a small amount of gravy over the top. Toss the casserole dish back in the oven for five minutes, or until the cheese is melty. Then, take the dish out, pour more gravy on it and serve. You can also chop some more green onions and sprinkle them on as garnish for that Instagram-able color contrast.

Maryrose Kulick / Daily Bruin

(4) Enjoy with a cold beer (or nonalcoholic beverage) and the Stanley Cup on TV!

Maryrose Kulick / Daily Bruin