Eat & Drink
The great Toronto poutine challenge: the bacon poutine
Today was the first day I didn't actually feel like a poutine. I wasn't opposed, of course -- but something like a salad would have hit the spot a little more given the 40 degree temperature outside with the humidity. Since I was going to need to be won over a little bit on this one I decided to go for the sure thing - Poutini's House of Poutine.
They keep it pretty simple at Poutini's with the only variances on the traditional model being a vegan option and the opportunity to add bacon. There is a version called "the works" as well (with sour cream and chives), but since salad was my first choice, I didn't want to bugger myself up even more by throwing sour cream into the mix. So bacon it is, a simple addition, but always a good one. Let's see how things went down:
Fries
Poutini's knows how to fry a potato. Their twice-fried process is the tried and true method for French fry perfection. They're on the thicker side - approximately six centimeters in diameter - which gives them just enough heft to soak up all that gravy. The danger with a thicker french fry is always that the inside won't be adequately cooked, leaving it dense and unappealing. Poutinis balances right on the edge of that high wire; the inside could perhaps be slightly lighter, but that's just because I'm being nitpicky. 3.5/5
Gravy
To be honest I was slightly disappointed with the gravy. It wasn't bad, but in my opinion a solid gravy - even more than the fries themselves - is the backbone of a great poutine. I just wasn't blown away. I wanted something rich, savory and complex, and what I really got was just gravy. It's nice and thick though, so when you're down to the bottom you can use those last few french-fries to scoop up every last drop. 3.5/5
Curds
When I say the gravy is the key to a great dish, Poutini's gives that recognition to their curds - and they make a good case for it. These are the kind of squeaky chewy cheese curds that you want just sit down and eat bags of. With a sweet, subtle, mild flavour, you could put these in a bowl alone and they might win top marks for best poutine all on their lonesome. 4.5/5
Portion
Poutini's offers two sizes: the Regular, and the Teeny Weeny Tiny poutine. Don't be fooled by their clever naming practices, there's nothing miniature about the Teeny Weeny. 4/5
Price: $5.75/$8.19
Final Score: 15/20
When all is said and done, this is a great poutine. The addition of bacon to the poutine was neutral as far as score goes -- bacon is delicious, but it also added a pretty intense saltiness that really stood out. Perhaps if the gravy were a little under seasoned the bacon would balance it out perfectly, but then everyone else suffers. Who cares, bacon is bacon and bacon is good.
Discussion
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Their fries were TOO STARCHY.
Not gonna be going back.
It's fries with toppings.
Some of those are traditional (chicken gravy + fresh curds), some are not. Obviously some use higher quality ingredients / cooking techniques but most complaints around poutine I hear are a combination of subjective passion (i.e., too starchy? It's a potato) and rigorous deconstruction of the ingredients not being in line with the arguer's preference.
I've never been a huge fan of fries/chips in the first place, so in that regard I'm a bit of a potato philistine.
I like the article series and it's good to see someone comparing multiple poutines. I hope you will still want to eat poutine again in the future once the 20 days are done.
"too starchy" is a valid complaint about a fry.
Potatoes need not taste starchy, regardless of their starch content.
That being said, I review non-traditional poutine for a couple of reasons. One is to keep things fresh, both for myself and the reader. For the most part, these additions can be enjoyed without sacrificing a perspective on the original dish. I won't be reviewing poutines that replace gravy or cheese curds all together, I welcome variations on the dish though. I like experimentation in general and while purists might consider any deviation sacrilege, if it tastes good, I don't see what the problem is. After all, it's poutine we're talking about, it doesn't need to be so serious.
Secondly, poutine is about as unhealthy as any other fast food. Something we shouldn't be celebrating. Deep fried potatoes, salt, chicken fat, cheese. come on guys, it's 2010, not 1961.
I'm honestly not attempting to be argumentative, but when I read 'Too Starchy' for a potato my brain contrasts that with someone saying 'too meaty' for roast beef.
Got this in Smoke's version. Less classy, but it tastes better.
I guess describing it as having a "granular texture" would be more appropriate. I've definitely used "starchy" to describe non-starch based edibles in the past-- I assumed the same would apply for fries. Maybe I've just been mis-using the term all along. Thanks for calling me out on it-- how embarrassing.
Heya Luke...I applaud your resolve to review the full gamut of Toronto's growing fascination with this heavy, greasy dish...Though I question the wisdom of promoting poutine in the middle of a rather hot and sticky Summer.
I also agree with purists that the merits of Poutine should be compared on the even playing field of it's basic recipe...Otherwise you may as well start reviewing Coney Fries while you're at it. ;-)
I'll also offer this link again, for anybody who needs a trick to stay healthy when eating too much Poutine:
http://thumbshift.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/poutine/
Salud!
Jo
BTW:
- 6 cm's is ridiculous, and 6 millimeters isn't "thick" at all - more like a very fragile shoestring fry at best!
- "Starchy" is definitely used to describe certain potatoes...Baking potatoes like 'Russet' are ideal because of this 'starchy' quality. The less starchy varieties are more firm and 'waxy' and are ideal soups, casseroles, potato salad, roasting, because the hold together better. Yukon Gold falls in between this range.
keep up the good work!!
The key point is that these 3 cities had a cheese curds factory. So the key ingredient is the cheese.
Many of my friends who are eating very well, on a healthy way, will debate with many rational arguments for the best "poutine au monde". The french Canoe website posted an article about your 20 days poutine challenge in Toronto.
So the cheese is very important - when I was young (1970), outside of my region they were making poutine with "parmesan cheese or grated mozarella or 5 days old cheese curds", happily those days are far away, even in Toronto. But the cheese should be daily fresh, not yellow, bigger than 6 milimeters diameter ha, ha.
So in your quest, watch the moisture and freshness of the cheese, the use of cooled cheese, but also the use of fresh cut potatoes and frozen potatoes. Daily fresh cheese and fresh cut potatoes look like better ingredients but they deserve different objectives.
Some don't like the sticky mixture coming from melting cheese, potatoes and gravy (it is the result of really moist or old cheese and home made potatoes badly cooked), so for them the frozen potatoes stay crispier and cooled cheese is not melting too fast.
Finally, all the non traditional poutines are dropping the gravy as an ingredient. It is why you find bacon or foie gras, or italian sauce, ground beef, smoked meat, etc. So for me and many people in «the creative region», the gravy is the weak link!
I will be reading you for your journey!
Have fun Luke, and have a Mountain Dew with it!
Claude