More comfort food – getting to be that time of year, eh? This time I’ve stayed on the North American continent and went for Mushroom poutine for dinner. Why not get some protein in with those carbs. Totally over the top and delicious. While I don’t necessarily recommend shortcuts, this can also be done with the fries of the frozen variety and likely no one would be the wiser. Quality cheddar curds make all the difference in the world too. Those that I used, of course, came from Vermont.
Ingredients
For the French fries
4 large baking potatoes
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
for the mushrooms and gravy
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
10 oz low sodium beef broth
5 oz low sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons butter
8-12 ounces fresh baby cremini and/or shiitake mushrooms, if larger, cut in half.
salt and pepper, to taste
for the poutine
1 to 1 1/2 cups white cheddar cheese curds, room temperature (or torn chunks of mozzarella cheese would be the closest substitution)
1 tablespoon fresh herbs or finely minced scallions (optional)
Directions
Heat the oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat.
Wash potatoes leaving skin on (you can peel them if you prefer). Cut potatoes into desired size fries, which for me was relatively thing. In the future, I will go with a medium thickness fry. Let potatoes soak in cold water in the sink or in a bowl for at least 30 minutes. Remove from water and dry very well. Toss with oil and salt. Spread evenly in a single layer on the prepared pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven up to 425° and cook fries until golden, about 20-25 minutes more.
Meanwhile, make your mushrooms and gravy. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water to make a slurry and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture turns golden brown. Add the beef and chicken broth and bring to a boil, stirring with a whisk. Stir in about half of the cornstarch mixture and simmer for a minute or so. If you’d like your gravy thicker, add a more of the cornstarch mixture, in small increments, as needed, to thicken.
In another pan, melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and sauté. Add a little bit of water to the pan to help them sauté. Season with salt and pepper once tender. Combine into the gravy.
To assemble, place the French fries into a large work bowl. Add a ladle of hot poutine gravy and mushrooms to the bowl and using tongs, toss the fries in the gravy. Add more gravy, as needed to mostly coat the fries. Add the cheese curds and toss with the hot fries and gravy. Plate on an over-safe dish and slide under the broiler for a minute or two to help the cheese melt. Garnish with fresh herbs and/or minced scallions. Serve immediately.
