Nacho Grande Poutine Food Truck Recipe from Smoke’s Poutinerie in Toronto

Ah, poutine. We hardly know ye, but we love ye. This trendy dish pops up on menus in Chicago, but not as often as we would like. It’s one of those dishes that has endless possibilites and beg for our talented chefs to put their own spin on. This recipe, for example, is a mashup between nachos and poutine. It’s got the salsa and guac of nachos using the potato and gravy base of poutine. We’re not sure what we think about the gravy and salse mixing, but we won’t knock it ’til we try it!

These recipes were provided by Eat St. If you like them, check out the full cookbook.

Poutine is a proud Canadian dish that combines all the heart-stopping power of melted cheese curds and gravy with the healthy benefits of a plate of deep-fried potatoes.

But even the deep-fried lovin’ city of Toronto is not enough to contain the poutine army that Smoke is building. With a few restaurant locations already operational and a fleet of trucks planned across Canada and in the U.S., it won’t be long before Smoke is at a street corner near you. To say these guys are passionate about poutine would be an understatement. They care so much that they oversee several fields in P.E.I. where they grow their own brand of “Smoke’s potatoes”!

4 cups (1 L) chicken-based gravy

1⅓ cups (325 mL) chili

31/2 lb (1.5 kg) Yukon Gold potatoes

Canola oil for deep-frying

Salt

1⅓ cups (325 mL) cheese curds, at room temperature

1⅓ cups (325 mL) tomato salsa

1 cup (250 mL) guacamole

1 cup (250 mL) sour cream

4 fresh or pickled jalapeno peppers, sliced

Heat gravy and chili separately until hot; keep warm.

Cut unpeeled potatoes into ½-inch (1 cm) sticks. Soak in cold water for at least 5 minutes.

In a deep-fryer or deep, heavy saucepan, heat 3 inches (8 cm) of canola oil to 300°F (150°C). Drain potatoes and pat dry. Fry for 4 ½ minutes, being careful not to brown potatoes. Drain on paper towels. Heat oil to 350°F (180°C). Fry potatoes until crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl lined with paper towels; season lightly with salt. Remove paper towels; gently toss potatoes.

Mound fries in serving dishes. Spread curds over fries. Pour hot gravy over curds. Mound chili over gravy; top with salsa. Spoon guacamole on the side. Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream (or use a squeeze bottle) and jalapeno slices.