In the lead up to this year’s CONCACAF Gold Cup we here at Prost Amerika will be presenting our team previews with something new: food! You can check out all of recipes in the Gold Cup section. And of course please let us know how your meals turn out by using the Comments section below!

Here is where the controversy begins! So many of you might be asking, “But, Sean! Why choose poutine? Aren’t there other many traditional Canadian meals that we could be using in this circumstance?” Sure absolutely! But when you are looking for a snack during a match french fries, gravy and cheese curds seems like it should do the trick. Plus, I once saw some Vancouver Whitecaps supporters eat it when they made the trip to Seattle back in 2016 so therefore it is a football supporters meal.

In terms of the history of poutine I will leave that to the comments section for a hot button debate about who created it. But it is generally believed to have been created in the mid-20th century in Quebec. As with any urban legend there are plenty of stories to go with it and poutine is no different. According to the spruce  one such story is from Warwick (not the Ewok) where a truck driver asked a chef to put cheese curds on his French Fries. The chef replied by saying, “Ça va faire une maudite poutine!”Or, for those of you who got a C+ in eleventh grade French “It will make a damn mess!”

But when you are talking about sports and eating you need food that is either a.) hearty b.) something you probably wouldn’t during a normal day c.) something that goes well with a pint or d.) all of the above. There is also the ‘little paper basket theory’ that if it can fit into a basket and can be managed then it can be eaten at match. Whether it spills on you and your clothes is an entirely different matter and can be determined at a later time.

So let’s make some poutine and talk some Canadian men’s soccer!

Ingredients

(credit: AllRecipes.com)

1 can beef gravy (Note: If you want to go fancy you can make gravy from a roast, a chicken, etc. However, if timing is of the essence then I would suggest just using a can of storebought gravy. We would suggest a specific name brand but we are open to sponsorship opportunities from all gravy companies so we will leave this space open to the highest bidder!)

1 quart vegetable oil

6 potatoes

2 cups of cheese curds. If cheese curds aren’t your thing  or they are too hard to find try using mozzarella cheese.

Directions:

1.) Turn your oven on to a low to medium setting (the recipe call for 365 degrees but you would be fine at 325 as well) and put a little vegetable oil on the pan. Some people overdo it with the vegetable oil but just a little dab will do you.

2.) Wash your potatoes and then either skin them or proceed to chop them. Some people like to leave the skin on but it is up to you. Same with the shape of the fry. The tradititonalists will likely say that you need to make them long and thin. But there is also nothing with fries shaped like chips.

3.) Put your fries in the oven. I would check on them after about 10-12 minutes and flip so they get cooked on equal sides.

4.) While your fries are in the oven pour your gravy into a saucepan and set it at a low to medium setting. Again, low to medium may take a little longer to cook but it won’t burn your food. Patience is a virtue.

5.) Take your fries out of the oven. If they are golden brown on each side use a spatula to pick them on a plate that has napkins on it so you can take off the excess oil. Unless you like piping hot fries let them sit out for a minute to cool.

6.) Once your gravy has heated turn the burner off and place it on a cool burner to rest. Have a beer.

7.) Put your fries on a plate and then  and add some cheese on top of it. Using a ladle pour some gravy on top of your meal and ladies and gents you have yourself some poutine.

Drink to go with your poutine? La Fin Du Monde (Unibroue)

Yes, we are staying in French Canada with our beer selection. While there are many, many great Canadian beers Unibroue’s La Fin Du Monde takes the cake. It is a beer that Beer Advocate has ranked as a 96 which tells you that it is not just a niche beer. Given that it is a Belgian beer it works well with the poutine although if you are at a stadium juggling the two might be a challenge. The 9.0% ABV also can be a bit intimidating. But if you share it among friends or are a hearty enough soul to go solo you will not be disappointed.

 

Will Canadian supporters be eating poutine at the 2017 Gold Cup Final?

There is a lot to like with this Canadian side. With Alphonso Davies, Jonathan Osorio, Anthony Jackson-Hamel, and Sam Adekugbe it seems that Canada have found themselves a young nucleus to build around. New coach Octavio Zambrano is embracing the youth movement in Canada and given how some of them are performing in Major League Soccer and elsewhere it is hard to not see why. Their recent run of good form against Bermuda, Curacao, and Scotland should have them feeling confident that they can beat French Guiana.

But as it happens so many times with Canada over these past few years whether they advance in the Gold Cup will depend upon their result against Honduras. Zambrano has to show a willingness to continue to push players like Davies and Jackson-Hamel even if they are getting pressure from Honduras. There is a reason with Patrice Bernier is on this side: to provide the veteran leadership in case things do go wrong. This tournament is an opportunity for Canada to show that they can make the next step as a footballing nation. The question is now: will they take it?

Prediction: Canada will still fall a bit short against Honduras. However, it was only because Zambrano rested his starters after a solid showing against Costa Rica and a decisive win against French Guiana. A knockout round appearance will against the United States will get their supporters to their feet and although they will fall short it will something to build on.