Poutine has to be THE dish of Canada, and it is not only delicious but also very easy to prepare. It is a pretty basic dish make of French fries, cheese curds, and gravy. There are many variations of the dish that can be made but don’t call it a Poutine unless it has these three ingredients.

1) Pick the Poutine you want to make: the classic way to make Poutine is the French fries, cheese curds, and gravy, but you can make variations. You can add other things such as bacon or ham and make with mac and cheese and add anything you really want. As long as you have the main three ingredients you are set and then go from there.

2) The fries are key: One of the nice things about Poutine is that you can use, pretty much, any types of fries from the basic straight cuts ones and wedge ones to frozen ones and even tater tots. No matter what type of fries you use the ones that are on the crispy and not soggy side will work the best considering you are lathering it up with gravy.

3) Cooking the fries: I mentioned in the last point that the crispier, the better, as Poutine can be the tastiest when the fries are crispy on the outside and then a little soft and fluffy on the inside. If you make fries and they are on the softer side all the way around the gravy, and the cheese curds will make this more so and make for a dish that is a little on the soggy side with no crunch. If you are in a hurry or on a budget, frozen fries can be a great option, like many restaurants, cafes, and even McDonalds uses them so why can’t you?

4)The Cheese Factor: the best cheese to use when making Poutine is cheese curds that are on the squeaky side. However, if cheese curds are hard to find then you can also use mozzarella cheese, but the flavour will be different. Just like adding things to a Poutine dish you can use different cheeses from brie and Swiss to cheddar and gouda it is all up to you. However, the easier the cheese melts, the better it will be for this classic Canadian dish.

5) Have your additions ready: Before the main preparation for Poutine get your additions ready before adding the gravy. If you want bacon or ham make sure you have it ready for the final step. Have some onions or another veggie you want to throw in? Have it chopped, so they are ready to throw in when it is gravy time.

6) The Gravy is the last hill to climb: Ok, so adding gravy to a dish is not really a hill to climb, but when making Poutine it is the last step. Heat up the gravy, so it is hot enough to melt the cheese. You want to melt the cheese and mix in with the fries, or anything else you may add, without all if it going to the bottom of the dish. Never add the gravy first, as the fries, cheese, and the gravy should be added to make it a more balanced dish to enhance the flavours. Just know that no matter what you put in your Poutine the gravy is the last thing to put on top.