Poutine with Baked Potato Wedges and Homemade Gravy

If you check the dictionary for the definition of Poutine, it says that it’s a Canadian dish which originated in the province of Quebec and made with French fries, cheese curds and gravy, but you should know that Poutine is not only a side or a main dish is a culture here, in Quebec. It’s a national, authentic food and if you want to taste a real poutine, you should visit Montreal. We love poutine, we are proud of our poutine and we are sure that nobody knows how to make it better that we do it in Quebec! So, there.
We have so many variations of this dish and each restaurant tries to outdo the other by adding all you can imagine to the basic poutine, from maple syrup, to bacon, sausage, vegetables, and what not. There is BBQ poutine, Thai poutine, Vegan poutine, Hawaiian poutine, and the list goes on and on.

This year we held a 3-day Montreal’s First-Ever Summer “Poutine Festival”. Believe it or not, we’ve actually never had one before. This festival gathered all the poutine in one place and took place between July 3 and 5 in Montreal’s Old Port. Of course, we were there! My  son, who is the biggest poutine eater in our family, followed closely by my husband, wouldn’t miss it. The only problem, it was very tough  to decide which poutine to choose :)

Inspired by the Poutine festival, my son asked we make the poutine at home, including the homemade gravy. To make it healthier, we opted for baked potatoes instead of fries. We were very happy with the results: the baked potato wedges were crispy outside and fluffy inside, flavorful, garnished with lots of spices; the gravy came out delicious, and the cheese – well, I have a soft spot for cheese curds. Anyway, it’s good that I took my pictures right away because the poutine disappeared so fast, I wouldn’t stand a chance if I went to fetch my camera :)

Ingredients

8 medium russet potatoes
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp. Italian herbs
½ tsp. Onion powder
3/4 tsp. Salt
3/4 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Oregano
2 cups Cheddar cheese curds
Gravy:
1 tbsp. cornstarch diluted in 2 tbsp. water
45 gr. unsalted butter
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
1 cloves garlic, squeezed
1 1/8  beef broth, no salt added
1/2 cup + 1tbsp. chicken broth, no salt added
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Wash, peel and cut potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half to 3 pieces lengthwise. You will have 6 wedges from each potato. 
Tip: You can leave the potato skin on if you like it; we tried with skin on and off and prefer them peeled.
Place cut potatoes in a bowl with cold water and a tray worth of ice cubes, about 2 cups.
Let the potato stand in the icy water for about 20 minutes. The potato will be fluffier inside and crispier outside. 
In a large bowl mix olive oil and all the potato spices. (The quantity of herbs is approximate. You can use your favorite spices and season the potatoes according to your taste.) 
Add potato wedges. Toss all the ingredients together, making sure the potatoes are completely covered. 
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the potatoes in a single layer.
Bake it for about 30 minutes, then turn the heat up to 425F and bake for additional 5 minutes, until the wedges are nice golden blown color, crispy outside, and soft inside.

In the meantime, make a gravy.
In a small bowl, dissolve a cornstarch in water. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring until the mixture turns light golden brown. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. It smell so delicious!
Add both broths and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. 
Stir in the diluted cornstarch and simmer for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. 
Season with salt and pepper, stir and remove from the heat.
If you still have some small lumps of cornstarch or flour, pass the gravy through a fine-mesh strainer.
Assemble poutine:
Place the potato wedges in a shallow bowl, generously pour gravy on top and garnish with cheese curds.