Published: 23 January 2022

Made up of layers of warm, crispy fries, heaps of cheese curds and a generous pour of a sizzling thick gravy, poutine is the ultimate comfort dish for those snowy Canadian winters. But today’s poutine recipe has a Japanese twist!

This meatless umami gravy is redesigned using Japanese curry roux. You get the umami from the mushrooms and soy sauce as well as the spicy kick from the curry cubes which all work together to perfectly season the salty fries and chewy, dense cheese curds. A very generous flavour profile indeed!

Choosing the right ingredients is more than half of the success of a recipe. And for poutine, it’s all about the potatoes! So, how do you choose the right potatoes to make the perfect French fries? The answer lies in the starch to moisture ratio of the tuber.

You want to go for potatoes that have a high starch and low moisture content (as opposed to low starch or waxy potatoes that are better suited for stews or potato salads). Here are some potato varieties that are recommended to make mouth-watering fries at home:

1.Bintje potatoes: If you’ve ever had the opportunity to enjoy deliciously crisp fries in the streets of Belgium, chances are you’ve already crossed paths with the famous Bintje potato. This potato variety was bred in the Netherlands in the early 20th century by a botanist schoolmaster named Kornelis Friesland and remains widely grown in Europe and North Africa.

2.Russet potatoes: With dark brown skin and snowy flesh, Russet potatoes are the go-to potatoes for French fries and baked potatoes. Their starchiness is also key to a light and fluffy mashed potato.

3.Yukon Gold potatoes: Because of their medium starch content, Yukon Gold potatoes are considered to be multipurpose potatoes. In other words, they can be used in a variety of ways including baked, boiled, mashed and fried. If you want to keep it simple and purchase an all-purpose potato, this is a great option!

Poutine is usually topped with those famous squeaky, rubbery cheese curds that the Quebecers endearingly term “fromage Couic-Couic”. Since I couldn’t find any in my area, I decided to take advantage of the endless choice of artisanal cheeses that can be found in French markets. For similar texture but more depth of flavour, I opted for the Tomme des Pyrénées. This French rustic cheese has the great quality of crumbling in your hands in a way that resembles cheddar cheese curds. In terms of taste, it has very mild nutty notes that, coincidentally, combine wonderfully with the earthy flavours of the mushrooms.

Poutine pairs wonderfully with a variety of beverages but, if you ask me, there’s nothing more refreshing than a cold glass of lemon iced tea!

Quebec-Tokyo poutine

Meriem Chiadmi

5 from 1 vote

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Cuisine canadian

Servings 3 people

Ingredients

6 large potatoes (Choose a variety that is ideal for frying such as Bintje or Russets)
peanut oil
200 g tomme cheese
1 row Japanese Curry Roux (mild) (Roughly 2 cubes) You can find brands such as Golden Curry by S&B at your local Asian market or online
1 large green onion (roughly 1 1/4 cups, thinly sliced)
4 large white mushrooms (roughly 3 cups, thinly sliced)
1/4 tsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp butter
1 sachet black tea
2 tsp corn flour
1/4 tsp ginger powder
pinch of garlic powder
salt (to taste)

Garnish:

1 red hot chili pepper (finely minced)

Instructions

For the fries:

Peel and cut each potato into sticks and soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps to remove any excess potato starch and prevents the fries from sticking together.
Blanch the fries in boiling water for 5 minutes before drying them on a paper towel.
Heat a generous amount of peanut oil in a deep fryer or a deep heavy skillet. Place the fries into the hot oil, and cook until light brown. Let them dry on a plate lined with paper towels to remove any excess oil.
Sprinkle with salt while the fries are still hot.

For the sauce:

In a large pan, sauté the green onion and mushrooms in 1 tsp of butter and 1 Tbsp of peanut oil over medium-high heat for roughly 8 minutes or until they significantly shrink in size and start to brown.
Brew the black tea in 2 cups of boiling water. Dissolve your Japanese curry roux in the black tea mixture and pour it into the pan. Mix well.
Add the butter, garlic powder, ginger powder, soy sauce, maple syrup and bring to a boil before lowering the heat to a simmer.
In a small dish, add the corn flour and a couple of tablespoons of the gravy from the pan. Mix well to fully dissolve the corn flour and pour the mixture back into the pan. Mix and let it simmer until the gravy thickens a bit.

Assembling the poutine:

Place fries on a serving plate and, using your hands, crumble the cheese on top.
Top it all off with a generous amount of warm curry sauce.
(Optional) Garnish with minced red hot chili peppers. You can also microwave the poutine for a couple of seconds for satisfying cheese pulls!

Video

Notes

Delicious with cold lemon iced tea.

Quebec-Tokyo Poutine Recipe -A Canadian classic with a Japanese twist