Sausage Poutine

Fries and gravy – there are all sorts of variations of these two combinations all over the world. They’re cheap and filling and hella tasty!

That said, gravy can also be very rich and having them with oily fries is not my ideal dinner. So you know me – I had to make these a bit healthier: I learned a new way to make them crispy in the oven which involves water, vinegar and time. I made sure there were a bunch of veggies and I used a healthier chicken sausage rather than a meat sausage. I also used bocconcini instead of cheese curds, but that’s mostly because I couldn’t find any cheese curds this week.

Here’s how I did it….

Sausage Poutine

Servings: 4-6
Time: 60 minutes, + soaking time
Difficulty: medium
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Ingredients

4 large russet potatoes
1/4 cup white vinegar
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup minced sweet onion
1/2 cup minced carrot
1/2 cup minced celery
2 pounds sausage, casings removed (I used chicken sausage, but you can use any kind including chorizo)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts (8 cups) beef stock
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 cups bocconcini, quartered
1/4 cup finely sliced scallions

Directions

For the fries: wash and scrub the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch slices, and then slice into 1/4-inch sticks. Fill a large bowl with water and the vinegar and soak the potatoes for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Once soaked, cook the fries: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper and bake on a wire rack (over a baking sheet) for 45 minutes until crispy.
For the poutine: Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, add the garlic, onions, carrot, celery and 1 teaspoon salt and saute until the onions are translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sausage and saute, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until well browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the flour and stir well, cooking the mixture until the flour is completely incorporated. Deglaze with the beef stock, then add the hot sauce, Worcestershire and dry mustard and stir well until combined. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking until the sauce thickens, 30 to 35 minutes. Season with salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, keep warm and set aside.
To serve, place half of the fries on a large serving platter. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, and spoon the hot gravy over the fries. Repeat with a second layer of each, finishing with a garnish of sliced scallions. Enjoy!