Sweet Potato Poutine

My friend Laurie is one of the true originals. She’s one of the few authentically quirky people I know and she always, always makes me see things from an unexpected angle. She has an infectious, un-selfconsciously LOUD laugh that comes from somewhere deep inside and when I’m with her, I hear it often. Even on the bad days.

Laurie and I love to make plans together and cancel them with no hard feelings. We do this because we genuinely WANT to get together and it feels like a great idea on Tuesday to go for a post-work nosh on Friday night…but by the time Friday rolls around, we’re both too tired to go anywhere…so one of us usually cancels.

We do, however, get together with increasing regularity to wander through the Strathcona Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings and we usually grab a bite to eat somewhere afterward… where I often put something through my nose due to a spontaneous burst of hilarity.

Laurie is a foodie. From the tip of her unruly mop of curls to the toes of her hippie boots, she LOVES food. She actually skips in to the Farmer’s Market because she is truly delighted to be in the presence of abundant, locally produced, foodstuff.

Last Saturday, she convinced me to sample Sylvan Star Cheese. Apparently, I’m the last person in Edmonton to learn about the award-winning Alberta cheeses. She highly recommended the smoked gouda and the cheese curds, so…I bought both.

And now I have cheese curds…so ….poutine, it is.  A true Canadian classic – adapted. You can buy almost everything you need to make this at the Strathcona Farmer’s Market (except for the spices and milk…but the milk at the supermarket is locally produced, so you can call it Alberta food without feeling too guilty.)

Necessary Stuff

3 large sweet potatoes

1 medium red onion

2 cups homemade beef gravy

Sylvan Star cheese curds
1 cup finely grated old cheddar

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp smoked salt

1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
Pepper to taste

Enough milk to soak the fries

Canola Oil

Slice the sweet potato into fries (whatever thickness you prefer) and soak them in milk. Finely slice the red onion and heat the beef gravy to a gentle boil. Combine dry ingredients in a plastic bag and shake to mix.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees, put fries in the plastic bag and shake to coat. Drop them one by one into the hot oil. Fry until crispy and place on a paper towel to drain.

In an oven-proof bowl, add a layer of fries, a layer of cheese curds and a few onions. Add another layer of fries, curds and onions. Sprinkle grated cheddar and more red onion on top and broil until cheese is bubbly. Pour hot gravy over fries and serve at once. With beer. 

Credit where credit is due…I put this recipe together in an effort to re-create one of my Edmonton restaurant faves.  Da-De-O on Whyte Avenue serves the best version of this I have ever eaten. Ever.  If you're looking for some satisfying soul food in Old Strathcona, I highly recommend you stop in and try some. It’s just that I can’t seem to get myself out often enough to satisfy my poutine addiction, so I had to learn to make this at home...