Friday, May 14, 2010

Poutine for cheats



The Friday wearies have hit me hard. I had an intense meeting today that was supposed to end with no further work, but actually ended with considerable further work. I was too tired to go out, though I was supposed to, and left the office late again. Then I couldn't ride or walk home because of my suit and heels gettup.

I had grand plans on the tram of getting home and immediately going for a long run, returning the dvds that were due back on Wednesday, hire some more, and then doing something constructive. However on getting home I immediately thought: fukkit, I'll just open a bottle of wine, make poutine and watch Masterchef.

My poutine is not nutritionally sound, nor particularly authentic. It is basically poutine made with potato gems. If you know me, you will already know how much my emotional stability and my hips owe to potato gems. It is also made with instant gravy, because I thought I had an onion, but I do not, and I am not leaving the house again. Not with all this Winter going on.

So here it is:

Ingredients
  • Potato gems
  • Grated cheddar
  • Instant gravy powder
  • mustard
  • onion if you have one

Put the potato gems in the oven just as the bag instructs. When they're crispy and golden brown scatter the cheddar over them and return to the oven for 5 minutes.

Make the gravy. If you have an onion, slice it thinly and sautee it in butter. Then add your instant gravy powder and hot water. If you don't have an onion, skip straight to the instant bizzo. (Obviously if you have a superior gravy method, go with that. I didn't have an onion or stock, and instant gravy seems utterly fitting for this Friday night). Bring to the boil and let it thicken, add a spoonful of mustard. I use French - after all, this is poutine. Add some black pepper if you fancy it.

Then pour your gravy into a bowl and scatter your cheesy gems on top. You could do it the other way round, but I am loathe to soggify the crispy gems by dousing them in the gravy. Instead I like them to rise above it. I feel the same way about ice-cream and waffles, but that is an anecdote for another time.

Consume with a Pinot Noir. After all people, it is Friday.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Tash, I bet you're sick of stomping up and down the hallway.

You know, Alex and I still refer to the importance of our marriage certificate allowing each of us to get fat on potato gems.

Natasha said...

Yeah, the stomping gets old. And our current hallway is nowhere near long enough for a proper tantrum.

Sometimes getting fat on potato gems is an unfortunate yet also pleasant reality. A marriage certificate is probably a very useful thing in these times. Glad you guys had the foresight to add the necessary realism to your vows.

nat said...

Oh yes! I've done this before and works a treat! Including my gem nachos, now know as 'GemChachos'; I believe I, along with you Tash, are at the forefront of potato gem innovations and research.

Natasha said...

OMG Gemchachos!

We should write to Birds Eye and get some R&D funding. How could they possibly say no?