Subject: Gravy on French Fries?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 11:06:30 -0600
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I've heard about it. Never gave it much thought. Last night I broiled some ground round patties. Then put them in a pan to simmer, covered, in a brown gravy with some onion, garlic, black pepper, a dash of cayenne, some chopped parsley, probably something else I don't recall at the moment. I didn't feel like fussing with mashed potatoes so I threw some frozen "steak fries" in the oven. I had steamed some broccoli earlier in the day so I had some of that as well. When it was all ready I plated a serving of the beef and spooned a little gravy over the top. I added fries to the plate. Thought, what the hell, I'll spoon some gravy on the fries, too. Hmmm. Not bad!
From: Jenn (wannabeachef at wideopenwest.com)
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 12:37:39 -0500
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Yup, gravy on fries is pretty darn good. Another thing I absolutely love (especially when I'm PMSing) is fries (from a fryer, not the oven, with lots of salt) dipped in chocolate pudding. Now, before everyone says "EEEWWWW", think of all the people who go to Godiva and buy potato chips coated with chocolate....basically the same thing. (Everyone I tell about this says eeww...until they try it!) It's gotta be better than deep fried oreos!
From: John Gaughan (john at johngaughan.net)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 13:50:12 -0600
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Jenn wrote:
> Yup, gravy on fries is pretty darn good. Another thing I absolutely love
> (especially when I'm PMSing) is fries (from a fryer, not the oven, with lots
> of salt) dipped in chocolate pudding. Now, before everyone says "EEEWWWW",
> think of all the people who go to Godiva and buy potato chips coated with
> chocolate....basically the same thing. (Everyone I tell about this says
> eeww...until they try it!) It's gotta be better than deep fried oreos!
My wife gets weird cravings. Right now she is on Subway sandwhiches (not weird, I know), last month it was McDonald's fries dipped in a chocolate shake. Her cravings are so weird and frustrating at times I understand the idea of the couple being pregnant, not just the woman. I am always running around putting some strange concoction together for her. Fried chicken dipped in ketchup and chocolate? Or how about Arby's curly fries dipped in a mixture of Honey Mistard and Horsey sauce? I actually like that one though.
I have not tried deep fried Oreos... could you please elaborate?
From: Jack Schidt (jack.schidt at snet.net)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 17:43:51 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> spooned a little gravy over the top. I added fries to the plate. Thought,
> what the hell, I'll spoon some gravy on the fries, too. Hmmm. Not bad!
Cronin & Phelan, an Irish pub in Astoria, Queens, has been serving fries with brown gravy for as long as I can remember. That's how they arrive; you don't hafta ask.
Jack Astor
From: blake murphy (blakem at ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 18:18:17 -0500
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Jack Schidt wrote:
>Cronin & Phelan, an Irish pub in Astoria, Queens, has been serving fries
>with brown gravy for as long as I can remember. That's how they arrive; you
>don't hafta ask.
is this an east coast thing?
From: projectile vomit chick (projectilevomitchick at earthlink.net)
Date: Wed, 05 Feb 2003 19:17:38 GMT
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blake murphy wrote:
> is this an east coast thing?
I've seen fries served with brown gravy in Minnesota.
From: barry_grau at yahoo.com (Barry Grau)
Date: 5 Feb 2003 14:40:06 -0800
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blake murphy wrote:
> is this an east coast thing?
I naver saw it or heard of it growing up in NYC. But I had a sheltered upbringing. I first saw it from a girl I dated when I moved to Chicago (25 years ago (ouch)).
From: nadine (nadine.walter at verizon.net)
Date: Thu, 06 Feb 2003 04:13:00 GMT
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having lived in the north of england i can tell you gravy is very popular over the top of fries when purchased at a fish and chip shop. mind you so is curry sauce too.the same sauce as used to make curries is often sold poured over the fries, as both are held at the front of the shop in big pans in a bain marie-water bath-
From: Grandad (ddthomasNOSPAM at telstra.com)
Date: Sun, 9 Feb 2003 19:37:37 +1100
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nadine wrote:
> having lived in the north of england i can tell you gravy is very popular
> over the top of fries when purchased at a fish and chip shop. mind you so is
> curry sauce too.the same sauce as used to make curries is often sold poured
> over the fries, asboth are held at the front of the shop in big pans in a
> bain marie-water bath-
Bloody L! I left Blighty in 1966 and then you'd get vinegar and salt and maybe a pickled onion on your chips. At age 11 I ate so many wallies (big gherkins) that I was off them for life - almost - just starting to get a taste back for them now nearly 50 years later! Salt and sour went with chips. I can handle gravy - but curry sauce??? yech,
From: Arri London (biotech at ic.ac.uk)
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 07:18:33 -0700
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Grandad wrote:
> Bloody L! I left Blighty in 1966 and then you'd get vinegar and salt and
> maybe a pickled onion on your chips. At age 11 I ate so many wallies (big
> gherkins) that I was off them for life - almost - just starting to get a
> taste back for them now nearly 50 years later! Salt and sour went with
> chips. I can handle gravy - but curry sauce???
> yech,
LOL! Curry sauce indeed! Comes in huge tins. Very popular in Asian neighbourhoods in London. Haven't seen any other gravy with chips in the Southeast though, so may be a Northern thing. Pickled onion juice or 'Greek' lemon dressing is available in some chip shops.
In Holland, a much wider variety of sauces is served with chips, including sate and chile sauces. However, not usually put on top; rather to dip the chips into.
From: Bob (bobc300 at adelphia.net)
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2003 04:21:15 GMT
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I lived in New Jersey, New York state, California and Hawaii and it wasn't until I got transferred to Scranton, Pennsylvania that I saw gravy on french fries. Been here for 10 years and I still think it's weird.
From: NO_SPAM_TO_dpharris at gci.net (Dennis P. Harris)
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2003 01:08:43 -0900
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Bob wrote:
> until I got transferred to Scranton, Pennsylvania that I saw gravy on french
> fries. Been here for 10 years and I still think it's weird.
if you want really weird, go to montreal and try poutine. fries with cheese curds and gravy...
From: Siobhan Bouzane (sbouzane at nf.sympatico.ca)
Date: Tue, 18 Feb 2003 12:46:35 -0330
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Dennis P. Harris wrote:
> if you want really weird, go to montreal and try poutine. fries
> with cheese curds and gravy...
yum! That has got to be the best way to eat fries, unless you are from Newfoundland, Canada (pronounced NewFUNland, rhymes with understand). Here we have fries with 'dressing' and gravy.
Dressing here is bread crumbs, summer savoury, and finely chopped onions, salt and pepper and small amount of margarine, often cooked as a stuffing for poultry.
Prince Edward Island, Canada,(potato capital of Canada) also has a special treat for French fry lovers. Fries with the 'Works'. Fries, cooked ground beef, green peas, corn niblets, fried onions and gravy.
From: stan at temple.edu
Date: 18 Feb 2003 13:11:57 GMT
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Bob wrote:
> I lived in New Jersey, New York state, California and Hawaii and it wasn't
> until I got transferred to Scranton, Pennsylvania that I saw gravy on french
> fries. Been here for 10 years and I still think it's weird.
Of course! Esp. in Pennsylvania, the home of Heinz Ketchup, the only logical condiment to use on french fries is Heinz Ketchup.
From: Jack (jmclainazNOSMAP at comcast.net)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 10:48:17 -0700
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> When it was all ready I plated a serving of the beef and
>spooned a little gravy over the top. I added fries to the plate. Thought,
>what the hell, I'll spoon some gravy on the fries, too. Hmmm. Not bad!
standard fare in the best New Jersey diners...
"chili dog wit spuds, one all the way one"
ah the memories
Jack
Tucson, Arizona
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at mail.monmouth.com)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 13:02:18 -0500
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> When it was all ready I plated a serving of the beef and
>spooned a little gravy over the top. I added fries to the plate. Thought,
>what the hell, I'll spoon some gravy on the fries, too. Hmmm. Not bad!
I thought about it, why didn't that sound good to me, gravy on french fries. Of course, it's because I prefer my fries crispy. But steak fries aren't usually crispy, so I imagine they were good. Ordinary french fries I just put salt, usually. Maybe ketchup, maybe not. If ketchup, I salt the ketchup. Not very adventurous. However, I much prefer tarter sauce or even just mayo.
From: jen (jjensen at alumni.uvic.ca)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 11:05:12 -0800
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> I've heard about it. Never gave it much thought. [...] Thought,
> what the hell, I'll spoon some gravy on the fries, too. Hmmm. Not bad!
i lived on fries and gravy while i was a teenager. it's very canadian (forget the cheese curd ... poutine didn't make it to BC until the 90s).
From: Synic (flavp+hfrarg at nhgbaf.arg.nh)
Date: Mon, 3 Feb 2003 03:41:19 +0800
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> I've heard about it. Never gave it much thought. [...]
It's standard cafe food in Australia. Chips (without salt) with cheapo gravox gravy made with pepper. Very cheap fare and is second cousin to the 'chip butty' (chips in a roll with tomato sauce/ketsup).
From: patscga at aol.com (Patscga)
Date: 02 Feb 2003 20:12:50 GMT
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In Baltimore in the 50's FF's with gravy were the "in" thing. Remember the movie "Diner"?
Pat in Atlanta
From: George (George at nospam.invalid)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 20:19:09 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> When it was all ready I plated a serving of the beef and
>spooned a little gravy over the top. I added fries to the plate. Thought,
>what the hell, I'll spoon some gravy on the fries, too. Hmmm. Not bad!
Traditional diner style fries when I was growing up here in PA. If you didn't want a ladle of gravy on your fries you had to make sure and specify that when you ordered.
From: a.l (alarratt at ecn.ab.ca)
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 00:57:20 GMT
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George wrote:
> Traditional diner style fries when I was growing up here in PA. If you
> didn't want a ladle of gravy on your fries you had to make sure and specify
> that when you ordered.
And now it is an extra $3.50 and you have to make sure and specify when you order, or else no gravy. lol
From: blake murphy (blakem at ix.netcom.com)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 18:14:54 -0500
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> When it was all ready I plated a serving of the beef and
>spooned a little gravy over the top. I added fries to the plate. Thought,
>what the hell, I'll spoon some gravy on the fries, too. Hmmm. Not bad!
jill, you should get out more.
Subject: Poutines rule - Re: Gravy on French Fries?
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: ~ rob ~ (dontsendmemail at nothing.com)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 17:16:05 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> When it was all ready I plated a serving of the beef and
>spooned a little gravy over the top. I added fries to the plate. Thought,
>what the hell, I'll spoon some gravy on the fries, too. Hmmm. Not bad!
Can't imagine where you've been...not in Canada I expect.
See:
http://www.avivalasvegas.com/Pages/poutinetalk6.htm [archive.org]
http://www.yrth.net/insects/poutine.php [archive.org]
http://www.thumper.net/tlkmag/archive/fun/poutine/
etc on Google...
And...remember to visit here at least once:
http://www.johnsonlakeresort.com/
-rj-
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 11:27:40 -0600
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~ rob ~ wrote:
> Can't imagine where you've been...not in Canada I expect.
Thanks for the links! I haven't been to Canada since 1971. And that was merely to visit my Scottish great aunt Maggie, who lived in a town near Niagara Falls. It was the first place I ever tasted malt vinegar on chips. Now you're telling me gravy on chips (poutine) is all the rage? I liked it well enough :-)
From: hahabogus (not at applicable.com)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 17:34:03 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> Now you're telling me gravy on chips (poutine) is all the rage? I
> liked it well enough :-)
poutine is more than gravy on chips...There's the cheese curds to be considered and then the BBQ-flavour to the gravy is another.
From: rms at hywaaay.not (rms)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 17:34:49 -0000
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Jill McQuown wrote:
>Now you're telling me gravy on chips (poutine) is all the rage?
Poutine has cheese as well. Gravy on chips/fries/pomme frites is much more spread. In Oz gravy is the norm at fast food places and ketchup/tomato sauce is kept for the septics. In the US gravy on fries was a 50's thing and some diners will have it and other places will supply it on demand. One place I frequent has "sloppy fries". Proper cheddar curds are hard to come by some places. rms
From: Rhonda Anderson (schumacher11 at bigpond.com)
Date: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 11:18:37 GMT
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rms wrote:
> Poutine has cheese as well. Gravy on chips/fries/pomme frites is much
> more spread. In Oz gravy is the norm at fast food places and ketchup/
> tomato sauce is kept for the septics.
Gravy is available at many takeaway places, but tomato sauce isn't just for US tourists!! Tomato sauce on chips is quite popular too, as is barbecue sauce on chips. I like all of them, and also like vinegar on chips - which one I pick just depends on the day, and how I feel at the time.
Rhonda Anderson
Penrith, NSW, Australia
From: hahabogus (not at applicable.com)
Date: Tue, 04 Feb 2003 02:01:24 GMT
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Rhonda Anderson wrote:
> Gravy is available at many takeaway places, but tomato sauce isn't
> just for US tourists!! Tomato sauce on chips is quite popular too, as
> is barbecue sauce on chips. I like all of them, and also like vinegar
> on chips - which one I pick just depends on the day, and how I feel at
> the time.
HP sauce is good on fries too. It isn't just for eggs.
From: Sheryl Rosen (catmandy at optonline.net)
Date: Sun, 02 Feb 2003 18:21:46 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> Now you're telling me gravy on chips (poutine) is all the rage? I liked it
> well enough :-)
Isn't Poutine cheese curds, in addition to the gravy, on fries?
From: Gabby (Lavolanges at msn.com)
Date: Sun, 2 Feb 2003 16:04:04 -0400
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> Now you're telling me gravy on chips (poutine) is all the rage? I liked it
> well enough :-)
Poutine (AKA Cardiac arrest on a plate) can be had just about anywhere in Canada. Not enjoyed by all, mind you (just looking at it makes me want to hurl -- but I also hate anything that will make my fries soggy, ketchup is always on the side). And not made the same way everywhere. Real poutine involves cheddar cheese curds, fresh things that squeak when you bite into them and that melt readily when covered with hot gravy. I've found that most places outside Québec use mozzarella instead. The poutine purist would look down his/her nose in disgust.
From: Michel Boucher (alsandorz at rogers.com)
Date: 2 Feb 2003 21:01:04 GMT
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Dans un moment de folie, "Gabby" écrivit:
>Jill McQuown wrote:
>> Now you're telling me gravy on chips (poutine) is all the rage? I liked it
>> well enough :-)
You might try looking up the true history of poutine from previous posts of mine:
[dead links]
This is such basic stuff it should be added to the FAQ.
> Poutine (AKA Cardiac arrest on a plate)
That is so 1990's! Poutine is neither here nor there. It's nowhere nearly as bad as a Big Mac.
> can be had just about
> anywhere in Canada.
But the only good poutine is made in Québec. Fitting.
> Not enjoyed by all, mind you (just looking at
> it makes me want to hurl -- but I also hate anything that will
> make my fries soggy, ketchup is always on the side).
Properly cooked fries do not become soggy in poutine. They may become soft, but to become soggy, they would have to absorb liquid which is nigh on impossible.
> And not made
> the same way everywhere.
Essentially, there are fundamentals to poutine. If one uses cheez whiz or sliced cheese it isn't poutine.
> Real poutine involves cheddar cheese
> curds, fresh things that squeak when you bite into them and that
> melt readily when covered with hot gravy.
In fact the only good ones are made fresh daily and a true poutinier knows that.
> I've found that most
> places outside Québec use mozzarella instead.
I look down my nose in disgust at this barbaric practice!
> The poutine purist
> would look down his/her nose in disgust.
QED