When the Farmer's Hand You Cheese Curds...

The Market Inspiration
My husband and I spent our Honeymoon in Montreal, where we enjoyed touring this wonderful historic city and most importantly sampling all of the best local cuisine, including some of the best French pastries and dishes outside of Paris. However, one of our favorites that we had in Montreal was Canadian Poutine. Poutine is comprised of french fries, cheese curds, and smoked meat, all topped with a rich gravy. We loved the Poutine we had and wanted to recreate it once we got back home, but couldn't find cheese curds from any of our local grocers. However, the Farmer's Market came to the rescue, where our Artisan cheese vendor carries a wide variety of specialty cheese, including cheese curds. Because this is march, the month of St. Patrick's Day, we decided to substitute corned beef in place of the smoked meat.

The Recipe (Serves 2)

Cooked, Sliced Corned Beef
1/2 cup Cheese Curds

The Fries
4 Potatoes, peeled and evenly cut into french fry size wedges
Olive Oil
Salt

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Bake at 375° for about 40 minutes, turning the fries every 10 to 15 minutes, until they are evenly golden brown and crisp.

The Gravy
3 Tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp. Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp. Onion Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
3 Tbsp. Flour
1 1/2- 2 cups Beef Broth

Melt the butter in a pot on the stove over medium heat. Add the seasoning. When the butter begins to brown, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. The mixture will darken in color and this will help to cook out the flour taste. Slowly add in the beef broth 1/2 cup at a time. Simmer until the gravy thickens. Taste to see if it needs additional salt and pepper to brighten up the flavor.

To assemble the dish, layer the fries, then meat, then the cheese curds. Drizzle with a generous portion of gravy. Best served warm.

The Pairing
One of classic Hollywood's most famous Canadian actors was Glenn Ford, who starred in a number of excellent movies, particularly during the 1950's. His best movie is the film noir, The Big Heat directed by noir master, Fritz Lang. In The Big Heat, Ford's character, a police detective, is determined to take down the his cities crime syndicate, no matter how much death and destruction is left in his wake. The Big Heat is one of the most clear examples of noir and the kind of thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat! -Z