Any Canadian cooks out there that can help?
 

A friend of mine is Canadian and misses some of his comfort foods.

We were talking about what our "last meal" would consist of.

He said he truly misses his fries with gravy. Huh. Had to look that up.

It looks like French fries, with cheese curds, and gravy over the top. Must be a 'thing' up there.


Anyone have any favorite (and tried and true) recipes I could try to help his home-sickness?
Thanks!

That is Poutine....Its a normal thing here. I personally am not a fan of it but I get it. you need the "squeeky" cheese curds for it to be truely good.

If he said Fries with Gravy ....
I would think that he was simply thinking French Fries with Gravy.

Otherwise, he would have said Poutine .... French fries with cheese curds smothered with gravy.

Originally Poutine was thought of as a French Canadian food,
but it has become an "in" food of late!

I'm with Ripped on Scotch ... not a fan!

Though I do like french fries ... plain with malt vinegar and salt. Skip the gravy!
And oh my, don't put me near really fresh and squeeky cheese curds,
as I might pretty much inhale them! :)
But together ... no way!

Totally agree! I can remember having fries at the hockey arena when I was a teenager. When the school hockey team played, we would all pile into the school bus for the trip to the arena..about half hour drive. The place was an icebox and during the breaks we would all head to the little canteen and order hot fries. I doused mine in salt and malt vinegar. They were soooo good . Guess it's a nostalgia thing but, although I still love those fries with vinegar/salt, they do not have the same outstanding taste. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I had Poutine in Canada the last time I visited. It was too salty for me. I always loved dipping my fries in gravy, but not poured on top. We have a new little restaurant that serves hot dogs and hamburgers and had fries with gravy on the menu. I told the owner about Poutine but he never found a way to get cheese curds in Southern California. He
topped the gravy fries with cheese sauce and calls it Poutine. He says it sells like crazy.

Nothing can match proper poutine with real, fresh, cheese curds.... just saying!

Well, living in Wisconsin, we are known as the "Dairy State" :) Fresh, squeaky, salty cheesecurds are a must, and we are quite snobbish over making sure they are fresh. If they've been refrigerated, forget it....they are old. Even if only by a few hours ;)

But....now I will have to ask if he meant fries and gravy, or poutine.

So with the malt vinegar do you just dunk it in, or pour over the top, or ?? Just curious.

Absolutely right GEMRM. A lot of restaurants/fast food outlets make poutine BUT only a few make it right.
I was always afraid to try it but when I did, oh my, delicious. It is very addictive & very hard on your arteries !
That gentleman was not talking Poutine, he was just talking fresh fries with gravy on top & that too is very good. Not gravy out of a can, FRESH FRIES with HOMEMADE GRAVY ! That's the way I love my fries & when I don't have gravy, just fresh fries with malt vinegar & salt on top. I'm sure he must miss other things from Canada too, but that's a good start. We lived in the States for a while & sure missed some of our Canadian food items too, like Peameal or Back Bacon, good cheese & good coffee. Some other condiments too, are different in the States but you can't have everything !!

I am originally from Western NY. Malt vinegar over my fries and salted. Yum. After all these years and living in the west, I still have my fries that way. Always have a bottle of malt vinegar in the cupboard and if at a restaurant will ask for malt vinegar. Have never had poutine.

You sprinkle the vinegar on top & add some salt. Also for fries & gravy, some people like the gravy "on the side" in a small dish & they dip their fries in that, rather than pour it on their fries. Each person is different.