Breakfast Poutine

Ingredients and Directions

Ingredients

Directions

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 oz. butter or bacon drippings
• 1 oz. all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 ounce cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper
• 9 oz. breakfast sausage meat, such as Jimmy Dean
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into skinny fries
• 2 cups canola oil
• 18 oz. cheddar cheese curds
• 12 large eggs
• 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, chilled and grated (if you are doing scrambled eggs)

For Mushrooms:

Directions

1. Melt butter in large nonstick sauté pan over medium high heat. You want a large enough skillet that the mushrooms will not crowd and steam, but rather will brown.

2. Add mushrooms and sauté until softened and browned on the edges, about 4 to 6 minutes.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Keep warm.

For Gravy:

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter or bacon drippings, then whisk in flour. Cook slowly until golden brown, then remove from heat.

2. Whisk in milk and cream and return to medium heat. Stir constantly until thickened, season with salt and pepper. Cover and keep warm.

For the rest of the prep:

Directions

1. In a large sauté pan, cook the sausage until brown and crisp, breaking into small pieces as it cooks. Set aside and keep warm.

2. For each serving, scramble or poach 2 eggs.

3. Place the raw potato in a large, heavy bottomed pot, and cover with the oil.  Over high heat, bring the oil and potato mixture up to frying, stirring occasionally to ensure the potatoes don’t stick together, and fry until golden brown and crisp, should take about 15 minutes total, but once the color is right they should be cooked through.  (Alternatively, if you have fries on your menu and a fryer, just use what you usually make.)  Drain on paper kitchen toweling over a sheet pan, and season with salt and pepper.

Assembly:

Directions

1. Heat oven to 450.

2. Divide hot fries among 6 shallow serving bowls.

3. Distribute sautéed mushrooms, cheese curds and sausage crumbles over the top of each.

4. Bake in oven for 1-2 minutes to soften cheese.

6. Remove from oven and top with two scrambled or poached eggs, and a generous spoonful of pepper cream gravy.  Serve hot.

Scrambled Eggs

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until well blended, then add the grated butter, mixing until well combined. The butter will emulsify into the eggs and keep them fluffy and tender, even when cooked through.

2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium low heat.  Spray with nonstick spray.  Pour the egg and butter mixture into the pan. Using a heat-proof rubber spatula to scramble the egg mixture until firm throughout with no visible egg liquid remaining, and large curds have formed.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Poached Eggs

Directions

1. Set out as many small ramekins as you have eggs and set them on a sheet pan next to the sink.

2. Get a deep bowl perforated spoon or small sieve ready.

3. For each egg, crack into the bowl of the spoon or sieve over the sink to let any extra watery white drain away, as this will make for a prettier finished egg.  Once the watery liquid has drained, place the egg gently into a ramekin.  Repeat until all of your eggs are in ramekins.

4. Bring a large pan of water filled at least 2 ½ inches deep to a simmer and stir in a splash of white vinegar.  Be sure the water is barely shimmering; a boil will break up the eggs.

5. Gently, two a time, tip the eggs into the simmering water, being sure to place them apart from each other by at least an inch to prevent sticking.  Repeat until all of the eggs are in the water.

6. Simmer for 2 minutes then turn off the heat and move the pan off the burner and let the eggs rest in the pan for 8 minutes.

7. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.