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Halal-conscious recipe

Poutine with Halal gravy

Double-fried chips under a rich gravy made from Halal chicken wings and Halal chicken and beef stock, topped with cheese curds or mozzarella with a checked rennet.

  • Cuisine Canadian
  • Meal Main
  • Difficulty Moderate
  • Yield 6 bowls
  • Time 1h 50m
  • Last updated

Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.

Printable view
Poutine with gravy and cheese curds
Photograph from our ingredient library: a poutine, not the finished dish.

Why Halal checks matter here

Poutine gravy is normally made with chicken, beef or veal stock, the cheese curds are a rennet check, and toppings such as bacon are pork.

Poutine is Quebec's plate of chips, fresh cheese curds and hot brown gravy. The chips and curds are usually straightforward; the gravy is the Halal question, because it is made from chicken, beef or veal stock (see poutine). BBC Good Food builds its gravy from browned chicken wings simmered in chicken and beef stock.

This version keeps that method and makes the meat Halal: Halal chicken wings, and Halal stock or certified cubes (see stock cubes and chicken). The chips are fried in sunflower oil. The cheese should name microbial, vegetable or Halal-certified rennet (see cheese), and any bacon or smoked-meat topping stays off unless it is Halal.

Fry the chips twice, first low and then hot, so they stay crisp under the gravy, and add the cheese at the very end so it softens without melting away.

Halal-critical ingredients

  • Chicken wings and stocks The gravy's flavour comes from chicken wings and chicken and beef stock, which are Halal only from Halal slaughter. Use Halal wings and Halal stock or certified cubes. See Stock cubes and Chicken.
  • Cheese curds or mozzarella Some cheese is made with animal rennet. Choose a cheese that names microbial, vegetable or Halal-certified rennet. See Cheese.
  • Toppings Popular poutine toppings include bacon and smoked meat. Leave them off unless the meat is Halal. See Poutine.

Safe substitutes

  • Chicken wings and stock of unknown source → Halal chicken wings and Halal stock
  • Cheese with animal rennet → Cheese curds or mozzarella with microbial, vegetable or Halal-certified rennet

Allergens

gluten (flour), milk (butter, cheese)

Ingredients

Gravy

  • 400 g (14 oz) Halal chicken wings
  • 5 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 50 g (3½ tbsp) butter
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) Halal chicken stock
  • 500 ml (2 cups + 2 tbsp) Halal beef stock
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed

Chips and topping

  • 1.5 kg (3¼ lb) floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper
  • to half-fill a large pan sunflower oil, for deep frying
  • 140 g curds or 125 g mozzarella (5 oz curds or 4½ oz mozzarella) cheese curds, or mozzarella, with microbial, vegetable or Halal-certified rennet, torn into chunks

Method

  1. Brown the wings. Toss the wings in 1 tbsp of the flour. Heat the oil and butter in a large pan and fry the wings until well browned all over, then lift them out. Add the onion and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until soft and browning at the edges.
  2. Make the gravy. Stir in the rest of the flour, return the wings and add the carrot, bay, both stocks and the garlic. Boil for 15 minutes, strain into another pan and simmer for about 10 minutes more until thick. Season.
  3. First fry. Scrub the potatoes, leave the skins on, cut them into chunky chips and soak in cold water. Fill a large pan just under half full with sunflower oil and heat to 125°C. Dry the chips and fry them in quarters for 12 minutes each, then drain on a rack.
  4. Second fry. Raise the oil to 190°C and fry the chips again in small batches for about 5 minutes until golden. Salt them and keep them warm in a low oven while you fry the rest.
  5. Assemble. Pile the chips into deep bowls, pour over the hot gravy, scatter over the cheese and serve straight away.

How this recipe was researched

Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Poutine' (floured chicken wings browned in oil and butter, onion, carrot, bay, garlic and 500 ml each of chicken and beef stock boiled 15 minutes, strained and reduced; chips fried at 125°C then 190°C in sunflower oil; topped with cheese curds or mozzarella). We specified Halal chicken wings, Halal stocks, and cheese with microbial, vegetable or Halal-certified rennet. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.

Technique and ingredient sources

  1. Poutine — BBC Good Food Retrieved:

    Serves 6: 400 g chicken wings, 5 tbsp flour, sunflower oil, 50 g butter, onion, carrot, bay, 500 ml chicken stock, 500 ml beef stock, garlic, 1.5 kg floury potatoes double-fried at 125°C and 190°C, 125 g mozzarella or 140 g cheese curds. We specified Halal meat and stocks and a rennet-checked cheese.

  2. Poutine analysis — isithalal.food Retrieved:

    Gravy, oil and topping checks for poutine.

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