Why poutine is not more popular in the United States is a mystery to me. It’s delicious. It’s easy. It’s cheap, and it’s Canadian. We’re not talking about some far off exotic country here. Right now, I am literally closer to Canada than I am to most of my family, but until recently I rarely saw poutine on menus in the States.

Fortunately, it’s easy to make at home. All you really have to do is buy frozen french fries, a packet of brown gravy, and some cheese curds. Cook the fries (according to package directions). Mix up the gravy (according to package directions). Then just pour the gravy on the fries and top with cheese curds. Easy as that.

Since we wanted to make a recipe, though, we decided to make our own gravy and fries. Just to give you something to do.

Ingredients

2 Russet Potatoes

1 Quart of Canola or Peanut Oil

1/4 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup Flour

3 Cups Beef Stock

Salt and Pepper

6 oz. Cheese Curds

Just a note: Cheese curds may be a little difficult to find depending on what part of the country you’re in, but any store that has a good selection of cheese is a good bet. When we were in Austin we found them at Whole Foods.

Start by cutting the potatoes into 1/4 inch sticks. You can peel them beforehand if you prefer not having skin on your french fries. I’m too lazy to bother peeling my potatoes. Besides, they’re healtier that way, right?

Once you’ve cut the potatoes, rinse them in cold water to remove some of the starch. Then make sure they are dried completely before frying.

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Once the oil is good and hot, carefully slide in as many potato sticks as you can fit. Cook them for about 8 minutes, or until they are a pale golden brown color. You’ll need to stir them around in the oil occasionally to make sure they cook evenly. When they’ve finished cooking, move them to a paper towel to drain.

Since you will probably have to do multiple batches for the potatoes, you can start on the gravy while they are frying. First, you’ll need to melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat before stirring in the flour. Once you have a flour/butter paste, you can gradually stir in the beef stock. Bring the whole mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer to let it thicken.

After you’ve fried the potatoes and made the gravy, all you need to do it assemble. Simply put the fries on a bowl or plate, top with cheese curds, then pour the gravy over the top. It’s not healthy, but it is super delicious! Thank you, Canada!