How is poutine cheese made?

It is a typical Canadian curd cheese. It is obtained by adding certain additives to milk to make it acidic and trigger its coagulation. The curd is then cut, heated and drained to separate the liquid from the solid. This last part is what will become the cheese. We give you more details on the process of making the so-called couic-couic cheese in this article.

the poutine cheese is a fresh cheddar made from curdled cow's milk and obtained without pressing. This recent invention was born in the 1950s to deal with an overproduction of milk in the rural areas of Centre-du-Québec. In this region rich in cheese factories, several families and small towns lay claim to the creation of poutine cheese.

Its fairly easy and fast production soon earned it success. The tradition of transforming surplus milk into cheese curds is firmly rooted. In Quebec, it is ideally eaten fresh daily because it tends to change in taste and texture with refrigeration.

It is a type of curd cheese. The latter exists in a white or yellow version, but the first is the one used for poutine.

Making the poutine cheese usually takes between 5 and 7 hours. The milk is first pasteurized to destroy microorganisms that could harm the product or the health of consumers. It is heated to 72.5°C before being cooled to 29.5°C, in a fairly rapid period of time.

It is then transferred to a container before adding a culture of bacteria and calcium chloride. The whole is left to mature for 45 minutes, at 36°C.

Rennet is then added to the mixture to coagulate the milk. After about thirty minutes, the milk turns into a gel and becomes firmer. The product thus obtained is called curd. It is reduced to pieces by stirring it in one direction, then in the other.

For the next 30 minutes (or more depending on the desired consistency), the curd is cooked by heating it to 47°C, and continuing to stir.

It is then left to drain. It firms up and its acidity increases, so as to achieve the desired cheese texture. It is compressed in order to eliminate the whey. It is estimated that out of a volume of milk, only 10% will become poutine-type cheese curds.

The mixture is cut into slices which are then layered, turned over and folded. It passes through blades to give it its shape of grains. Salt is added before mixing to incorporate it well. The curd cheese is then ready to be eaten.

Part of the mixture is packaged as is to be consumed fresh. The rest is sent to compression towers to form blocks.

Poutine is a dish made up of fries, topped with a poutine sauce brown in color and a poutine cheese curd. The latter is commonly called couic-couic or skouik-skouik cheese in Canada, because of the noise it makes in the mouth when eaten. Its texture is both crunchy and fine. This cheese is particularly suitable for poutine, because it does not melt under the heat of the hot beef sauce poured over the dish. However, it will melt if you place it under hot fries! It is then necessary to measure the size of your grains and their place in the dish! You wouldn't want to end up with a runny cheese poutine! And for purists, this cheese is what makes or breaks poutine.

To prepare this snack, first cook your fries. Their size is a matter of personal taste. Is it your first time? We advise you to cut them finely so that they are crispy. Put the sauce to heat a few minutes before the end of cooking fries. Then place your cooked and still hot fries in a deep plate. Add the cheese curds to the fries, and top with the hot sauce. Poutine is eaten hot.

A restaurateur named Jean-Paul Roy says he invented the dish in 1964. He was already serving fries with a special sauce at his drive-thru restaurant, a dish he simply called "potato-sauce." After noticing that his customers were adding cheese curds in it, he had the idea of incorporating them directly into the dish, to give the cheese-potato-sauce.

As for the name of the dish “poutine”, it seems to come from the English word pudding. It is used to describe a mixture, usually quite messy, of several different foods. It is, however, a recipe whose origin is truly Quebec and which will become a symbol par excellence of the province.

The popularity of La poutine is then felt in the small towns of southeastern Quebec. The dish arrived in Quebec City in 1969, then in Montreal in 1983. Variants were created, such as Italian poutine with Bolognese sauce instead of poutine sauce. The Irish version is decorated with bacon bits. As for the vegetarian poutine, it is served with a vegetable and mushroom sauce. In Gaspésie, this snack is served with peas and chicken. In Montreal, you will find variations with smoked meat.

Chef Martin Picard has even created a version of poutine with foie gras, bringing together all the strata of Quebec cuisine on one plate. Poutine has definitely come a long way since its humble beginnings.

It was then exported to the United States, where its recipe was modified to accommodate American palates. Known as disco fries, American poutine is served not with poutine cheese curds, but shredded mozzarella.