Poutine is a dish with ties to Quebec, Canada. I had my doubts when i heard of crispy fries underneath a layer of gravy. I was a little hesitant to try this Canadian raved about dish but curiosity got the best of me. I have to say some places get poutine right and I thought it was an okay dish.
I am generally not a huge fan of gravy and I think too much gravy on poutine can ruin the dish. I also thought that poutine could use a little more flair or something to aesthetically spruce it.
I had this recipe in mind for a while and I wanted to put out more recipes other than the plantain recipes I have. In my recent trip to I was glad to see that Trader Joe’s has embraced plantains in their product line. Some ingredients are so versatile that they can be used in so many different ways like cauliflower.
This plantain poutine is loaded and perfect for the big game which is only a couple hours away. Fry up some fairly ripe plantains, make a quick gravy and load it up as you please. I always have pulled pork in the freezer ready to go but feel free to use rotisserie chicken. Cheese curds are becoming more accessible so that should be an easy find.
Get creative and top it with some pico, sprinkle of cotija cheese, jalapenos and toss it in the oven for a few minutes.
Plantain Poutine
Plantain fries topped with gravy and cheese curds. Loaded option with pulled pork and pico
- 3-4 plantain fries (semi ripe (not green, not brown))
- ⅓ cup cheese curds
- ½ tbsp butter
- ½ tbsp flour
- ½ cup vegetable broth
- ½ cup rotisserie chicken or pulled pork
- canola oil (for frying)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp worcestershire sauce
Heat enough oil to cover about a quarter inch of a frying pan to 350° over medium heat on the stove stop. While the oil reaches temperature, score the plantain and peel the skin off. Cut it in half and then carefully cut the halves lengthwise into 3 blocks. Be extremely careful as it will be slippery. Next cut the blocks into fry like sizes. Fry the plantain in batches until it reaches a golden yellow color for about 7 minutes a batch.
Make the gravy while the plantain cooks. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, gently add the flour and stir using a whisk until it reaches a slight brown color, add the broth, worcestershire and season with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a small shallow baking dish or a cookie sheet, place a layer of plantain fries on the bottom, top with your choice of protein (pulled pork or rotisserie chicken) or skip it. Drizzle some gravy and top with cheese curds. Place in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese curds start to melt. Carefully remove from the oven and serve immediately. Feel free to top with some pico, cotija cheese and a squeeze of lime juice.
