-->Proof is in the poutine
By Doug Gruse dgruse@poststar.com | Posted: Wednesday, January 27, 2010 2:00 am | (0) Comments
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Erin Reid Coker Erin Coker Erin Erin Reid Coker-coker@poststar.com Mike Keenan, co-owner of Mike and Mo's Hot Dogs on Feeder Street in Hudson Falls, creates a Canadian staple called poutine on Thursday January 14, 2010.
Real Canadians eat poutine.
Americans might find comfort in a plate of French fries with some ketchup plopped on the side, but our neighbors to the north look for more complex junk food to get them through the cold winter nights.
A Canadian favorite that originated in Quebec, poutine (pronounced "peu-tin" in Canada) complements French fries with the addition of brown gravy and cheddar cheese curds.
This is not a dish for the faint of heart - quite literally.
"It's got to have the cheese curds and the brown gravy, otherwise it's just cheese fries or gravy on French fries," said Mike Keenan, a poutine aficionado and co-owner of Mike and Mo's Hot Dogs in Hudson Falls.
Keenan is on a mission to make the quirky Quebec treat a favorite in upstate New York. Since he and business partner Todd Moulthrop opened the shop in August in a former hair salon on Feeder Street, poutine has been a staple on the menu.
"I could never figure out why it had never crept down here. When we opened, I wanted to serve real poutine," said Keenan, who first tasted the embellished fries when he was visiting Montreal as a teenager.
Making good poutine requires some practice, according to Keenan. The trick is to find the right balance of ingredients.
"We want to have French fries, cheese curds and gravy throughout the whole dish so you don't run out of any of them as you eat," he said.
For poutine devotees, the right gravy is crucial to the mix.
"The brown gravy is important. Our gravy recipe is proprietary," Keenan said. Finding the cheese curd, which basically is cheddar cheese that has not been aged or formed into a block, has been a challenge.
"It's hard to get fresh curd," Keenan said. "You know it's fresh because the cheese is squeaky when you bite it."
Keenan, who estimates he goes through about 10 pounds of curds in a week, places the cheese in a steamer to soften before adding it to the fries.
When he pours the hot gravy on top, the flavors meld in a harmonious trinity.
"We serve it with a fork. The idea is that you get all three things on each forkful," he said.
In addition to the Canadian fries, the shop serves hot dogs topped with a choice of two sauces. "Coney" is like a chili, and "Michigan" is a sweet meat sauce. Keenan also has standard items like onion rings, baked beans, potato salad, cole slaw and desserts on the menu.
But it's the poutine that really has developed a buzz for the new business.
"We have to educate people on what it is. It has an exotic name, but the ingredients are pretty basic," Keenan said.
Once people develop the courage to sample the concoction, Keenan said they usually walk away happy.
"It has really taken off," he said. "We have new people every day. Yesterday, our first five orders we got included poutine."
Many are even brave enough to come back for seconds.
"We have some people who are regulars. When they walk in, I know they are going to order poutine," Keenan said.
Although the Canadian classic is a regular feature on the menu, Keenan admits it's not something the average person could eat every day.
"This is a treat yourself kind of dish," he said.
Just don't tell your cardiologist.
Posted in Lifestyles on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 2:00 am Updated: 10:28 am.
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mmmm... Poutine... who's up for a road trip to Hudson Falls?
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