If poutine is your thing, this upcoming week is just for you. The occasion is La Poutine week, which runs February 1–7, an event that originated in Montreal but has since expanded across Canada, and even beyond. This year’s theme is “Around the World.”
Two great local restaurants are offering up their own delicious poutines for you to try in the coming days, created just for your tastebuds.
The Hawk (Duke’s Burger Company)
Josh and Amanda Darlington, owners of Duke’s Burger Company, which operates out of the St. Adolphe Arena, took their inspiration from their own popular perogy breakfast poutine, which has been a favourite with customers.
It all starts with Cavendish fries, topped with New Bothwell cheese curds and smothered in a rich homemade gravy that’s made fresh every morning.
But that’s only the beginning. Then they add savoury bacon bits from Miller’s Meats, sprinkle in green onions, and finish this scrumptious delight with a rubdown seasoning that’s made by DC Sauces, a local hot sauce and seasoning maker right there in St. Adolphe.
The emphasis really does land on their desire to work with local food providers. They also feel strongly about creating aware for their community.
The Darlingtons call their new creation The Hawk, giving homage to the local minor hockey team, the St. Adolphe Hawks. This week, the couple will be donating $1 for every Hawk purchase to the local food bank in Île-des-Chênes.
Maharaja Poutine (Smitty’s Niverville)
Smitty’s manager Meaghan Doerksen says that they got their poutine inspiration from another promotion back in September—specifically, their mouth-watering Maharaja Chicken Burger, served during last summer’s Between the Buns competition.
It was such a fan favourite, she says, that they decided to recreate that same theme this time around, unveiling the Maharaja Poutine.
Both the burger and the poutine are the brainchild of dinner cook Harkirat Khattra, who created the signature maharaja sauce in-house using a combination of satisfying Indian flavours.
The fries are seasoned with garam masala and served with a topping of paneer cheese, boneless wings, sour creme, pico de gallo, and shredded cheese.
Paneer cheese, Khattra explains, is a white cheese that is firm, milky, fresh, and very mild in taste. Because of its texture, it can be grilled or fried to enhance its creamy flavour, similar to halloumi cheese.
Khattra calls this poutine a blend of the best of India and the best of Canada, offering something both unique and a bit different from anything people have ever tried before.
“I want people to try the different flavours,” says Khattra. “Nobody else is using these flavours. I wanted to create a fusion and celebrate both Canadian and Indian culture. It was super cool that the managers [of Smitty’s] gave me a chance to create something unique.”
