# Poutine **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 30, 2002, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524 "2002-10-30T11:58:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/1 "2002-10-30T11:58:05Z")
I hear a lot of people singing the praises of this dish and I wish to try it; I live in the UK and I’m not aware of anywhere that serves it over here, so I think I may have to make it myself. OK, the fries part seems fairly straightforward. The curds: what sort of texture and consistency do they have? firmer than cottage cheese? The gravy: I’ve come to learn that ‘gravy’ can mean quite a lot of different things to different people; what kind of gravy are we talking about here? ---
**Author:** ![cantara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6f9a4e/32.png) [@cantara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cantara)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/2 "2002-10-30T12:56:41Z")
The curds are dry like cheese, but soft almost like putty. You should be able to get them from a dairy. The gravy is usually a generic beef gravy from a can. It is thicker than a jus and piping hot to melt the curds. The chips should be ‘fries’ ie. well cooked to be crisp since the gravy turns them mushy. It’s nice to have some crunch under the gravy and cheese. To assemble you dump some curds on top of the fries. You’ll need only a quarter to a third of a cup of curds and then top with the gravy. Wait a minute for the cheese to melt and then dig in. I was in the Scunthorpe market in the precinct a couple of years ago and saw the Yorkshire equivalent of poutine. Chips with mushy peas heaped on with gravy over top. Not being a fan of mushy peas, I did not have the desire to try it. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/3 "2002-10-30T13:05:42Z")
Québec cheese curds are nothing like American cottage cheese. It’s actually fresh cheddar cheese. The following [site](http://www.producteurslaitiers.org/fran/recettes/4_1_1_1_45.asp) is in French, but it has a picture of the cheese you’re meant to use. I seem to recall that you live in England (apologies if I’m wrong). A look at this [tells me that _British_ cottage cheese looks a lot like _fromage en grains_. The cheese should be very fresh and must absolutely squeak under the tooth. When people make poutine at home, they usually use ready-made gravy, so finding recipes is a little difficult. The following [url="[http://sciencex.tzo.com/sauce5.htm"]recipe](http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/gbk/guides/curds.htm"](http://sciencex.tzo.com/sauce5.htm%22%5Drecipe%5D(http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/gbk/guides/curds.htm%22)}site of British cheeses[/url) (again, in French, sorry) should give you an idea of what you should be looking for. > [@](#): > > 1 cup Heinz ketchup. > 1 cup water > 1/2 onion > 1/2 celery branch > 1 1/2 table spoons brown sugar > 10 drops tabasco sauce > 4 table spoons lemon juice > 1/2 teaspoons thyme > 1/2 teaspoons marjoram > > Mix everything and cook for half an hour. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/4 "2002-10-30T13:25:23Z")
There a little specialist delicatessen I can look into on the way home; they may have cheese curds - my French is a little patchy, but I think I read that page as saying that these are essentially the cut, drained curds, similar to what would be used to make a hard cheese, but they haven’t been pressed or moulded. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/5 "2002-10-30T13:25:27Z")
Not only did I screw up the coding after previewing three times, I didn’t get the right recipe. I’m not particularly fond of smilies, but this definitely calls for a: :smack: Anyway, the sauce above should be good for your barbecues, but if you want poutine gravy, you probably should try this instead: > [@](#): > > 1/4 cup butter > 1/4 cup flour > 2 cubes instant beef broth dissolved in > 2 cups of boiling water > salt, pepper > 1 teaspoon onion powder > 1/4 concentrated tomato soup > > Use the butter and flour to make a brown roux, slowly add the broth and the tomato soup. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes, add the onion powder and salt and pepper to taste. The sauce shouldn’t be too thick. ---
**Author:** ![dqa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/6 "2002-10-30T13:41:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > \*\*these are essentially the cut, drained curds, similar to what would be used to make a hard cheese, but they haven’t been pressed or moulded. \*\* I’m not a cheese connoisseur, but I believe this is correct. They reminded me of what is called in Wisconsin “squeaky cheese,” various sized (~1-2cm) bits and crumbles of cheese that squeak when you chew them, due to their newness. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/7 "2002-10-30T14:48:39Z")
Just a thought; would Mozarella do it? ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/8 "2002-10-30T17:03:42Z")
Mangetout, when I first saw this cheese used in Poutine I thought of Mozarella, because it is white, and kind of has the same consistency. I don’t believe we have an equivalent in Europe really… The gravy is made with the “jus” of the meat (beef being used in Poutine usually), you keep the Jus on the stove and you add a mix of flour and water and keep stirring, it will make the Jus thicker and that what this gravy is. I never saw gravy until I came to the States and I am not a big fan of it, but Poutine is my exception! It is so good! ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2002, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/9 "2002-10-30T17:05:24Z")
Back in high school, they used to serve us poutine for lunch once a month. They used mozarella, the North American, processed variety. It was sacrilegious, of course, but edible nonetheless. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/10 "2002-11-05T11:31:23Z")
I’m thinking of the very soft balls of ‘natural’ mozarella that I’ve seen. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/11 "2002-11-05T11:34:07Z")
Is jus the same as stock/bouillon (i.e. from boiled bones etc) or is it the juice from roasting a joint? ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/12 "2002-11-05T12:58:16Z")
It’s the juice from a roast. Alternatively, you could use butter, as in the recipe I quoted above. _Fromage en grains_ is fairly salty, and I find it quite unlike fresh mozzarella. IMO, using a mild cheddar might be a good idea. The consistency will be different, for sure, but the taste will be closer. ---
**Author:** ![Doctordec](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@Doctordec](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctordec)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/13 "2002-11-05T13:36:48Z")
I just started making poutine a few weeks ago with shredded cheddar and beef gravy. Good stuff, but not authentic so I’m having my Canadian relatives send some real poutine sauce and I also found a place that sells curds online. Can’t wait to try the real thing. [http://nystyledeli.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=10&Product\_ID=3428&CATID=1](http://nystyledeli.com/acb/showdetl.cfm?&DID=10&Product_ID=3428&CATID=1) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/14 "2002-11-05T14:11:36Z")
The mozarella I’ve seen is packed in salt water, so maybe it would be OK; cheddar wouldn’t be ‘squeaky’ and would melt into strings - is the squeak an essential component of poutine, or do the curds melt and go stringy? ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/15 "2002-11-05T14:28:00Z")
Ideally, some of the curds will melt and some will remain consistent enough to stay squeaky. Melting is definitely not a problem and is actually part of the fun. The best idea would be to try _both_ mozzarella and cheddar. Since cheese curds must be eaten within 24 hours, or at the very worst 48 hours, I really wonder if the ones you can order are all that good. But then again, if it’s all you can get… [sub]Every year, when I go back home, I get “nostalgic” for poutine. Every year, I remind myself that, honestly, it grosses me out.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/16 "2002-11-05T14:34:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Not only did I screw up the coding after previewing three times, I didn’t get the right recipe. I hope he didn’t put that on fries :eek: ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/17 "2002-11-05T15:08:52Z")
Me too… I can’t believe I translated the thing, reread it _three_ times and it’s no until I hit “submit” that I realized, “hey, wait, that’s not a gravy recipe…” Somehow I had several windows open with different recipes, and I picked the wrong one. Not my finest moment. ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2002, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poutine/134524/18 "2002-11-05T15:32:07Z")
I second the idea of using mild cheddar if nothing else is available…