Too Late

     I was first introduced to Poutine, the traditional Quebecois dish, or at least a form of it, at the Minnesota State Fair back in 2012 (read VinnyPost "Canada Invades Minnesota").  It is the plat nationale of our neighbors to the north.  The name is derived from Acadian slang for "mushy mess" but prepared properly is anything but that.

     Simply put, poutine (pronounced like the name of the Russian president) is fries, cheese curds and gravy.  But there are certain strict qualifications.  The fries must be from red potatoes, hand-cut and double fried for crispness and tenderness.  The cheese curds must be fresh and squeaky when bitten into, and the gravy is a combination of both chicken and beef stock that is thick enough to make a spoon stand up.  Anything less is an poor imitation.

     Over the weekend I received from my daughter out on the edge of the Prairie, an e-mail informing me that I missed La Poutine Week.  I was crushed to learn that for the first week in February restaurants in Montreal were rising to the challenge of creating their own spin and pushing the boundaries of the Canadian classic.  It was indeed an intense time for poutine lovers.

     As I read the descriptions of various offerings I was amazed.  Consider the following:

 

Poutine au Phoque-gnocchi, seal merguez (sausage), Brussels sprouts, cheese & jus

La Royale-pulled pork, red cabbage, green apple coleslaw
Donuts & Coffee-potato donuts, red eye gravy, smoked ham & cheese
Jewish-Matzo ball 
Moroccan-sweet potato, squash, zucchini, chick peas, tomatoes, spices & feta
La Nordique-duck confit, blue Benedictine cheese infused sauce, pickled red onions, arugula
Watership-braised rabbit, grainy mustard & honey gravy
Pookie Tang-rosemary fries, sorblege & maple sauce, bacon slices, fried cheese curds
The Lobster Monster-fries, lobster, squeaky cheese, bechamel sauce & shallots
Posh-roasted cipollini onions, bacon brisket, smoked pork, beef juice, peppers and Scotch ale gravy over fries

     One restaurant, La Banquise, cuts a ton of spuds daily to serve in their 28 different versions of poutine.  And for the week they served up a Poutine Reggae made with fries, cheese curds, Banquise gravy, ground beef, cubed tomatoes, guacamole and spicy peppers.

     I've already marked the event on my 2015 calendar and will be in attendance to see and taste this Canadian culinary treasure for myself!