Poutine Week 2020
Don’t put away those holiday stretchy pants just yet because it’s that time again: Poutine Week 2020 presented by Saputo is here! This year marks the 8th edition of this festival honouring French fries, squeaky cheese curds and brown gravy. From February 1 to 7 cities across Canada celebrate Québec’s unofficial-official dish, POUTINE!
For the 2020 edition, over 50 local restaurants across Montréal will put their cheesiest dish forward, creating the most over-the-top and unique poutines you’ll ever find. With so many cheesy options, here are just a few not to be missed.
What if I told you there’s a dish that combines two renowned Montréal foods, smoked meat and poutine? Briskets Montréal out montrealed itself with its “Smoked MeatBalls” poutine. Crispy smoked meat and potato balls topped with cheese curds, fried pickles, caramelized onions and coleslaw and covered in shallot sauce, white wine and mustard. It’s like eating a poutine in a smoked meat sandwich on top of a poutine.
Pub McCarold is putting a brand-new spin on “pub grub” with this monstrous entry in this year’s La Poutine Week. Imagine its famous fries with fresh cheese curds and sharp cheddar. Top that with a triple reduction of lamb stock balsamic vinegar and red wine gravy, port and onion confit. Now, picture that with a whole roasted bone-in lamb shank gently nestled on top. Bring your appetite.
Who says poutine is low-brow food only found in greasy spoon diners and hockey arenas? Don’t tell Le Gras Dur that as La Snobinarde is by far one of the swankiest plates of the whole festival. Golden fries topped with a truffle lobster bisque, pieces of fresh lobster, shrimp and crispy fried onions topped with a foie gras mousse, caviar and slices of black truffles.
Hanzo Izakaya offers an interesting rendition of the poutine with inspiration from the Far East with hints of the Southwest. The base is furikake sweet potato fries with gravy made with dashi and curry. Then it’s topped with fresh cheese curds, jerk beef, chorizo, pickled jalapeño and torched Tex-Mex cheese, with yozu kosho aioli and garnished with shredded kisami nori. Fusion as its best, itadakimasu!
Not all options are savory poutines this year. Le Centre Sheraton Montréal offers a fun dessert poutine in its “Guilty Pleasure”. Mini churro “fries” dusted with cinnamon and sugar, topped with lemon mascarpone ice cream and drizzled with a caramel sauce. Mignon Churros & Nougat offers something similar with its “La Mignonne”: churros topped with marshmallows or homemade nougat, topped with homemade chocolate or fleur de sel caramel sauce.
From duck confit and lobster to foie gras and truffles, nothing is off limits when you’re trying to impress fans, poutine connoisseurs and judges. This year’s offerings are setting a new standard in poutine creation!
To check out all the poutines on offer this year, please visit http://www.lapoutineweek.com.
Jason Lee, blogger
Jason is a food eater and picture taker. As the blogger behind Shut Up and Eat, he covers everything food, from recipes to reviews. Jason has vowed that he will not stop until he has officially eaten his way across Montréal. It’s a big claim, and it’s one he’s making.