Poutine with Oka Cheese and Fresh Chervil

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable or peanut oil for frying (1 litre)
4 medium sized russet potatoes, scrubbed well
1 cup grated Oka cheese
1 cup peppercorn gravy, prepared
15ml Fresh Chervil, stems removed
Coarse salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oil in deep fryer to 325°F
2. Cut well scrubbed potatoes in 1/4 inch wide sticks. Place French fries into a large bowl and cover completely with cool water. In the meantime grate the Oka cheese using a grater and set aside.
3. Drain the water from the potatoes using a colander. Pat the potatoes completely dry using paper towel.
4. Pour the gravy into a small sauce pan and place it over medium-low heat to gently heat the gravy until warm
5. Placed the dried potatoes into the preheated oil. Cook until the potatoes are tender and have little or no colour, approximately 6-8 minutes. Remove from fryer and shake excess oil from fries and place on a paper towel lined plate. Depending on the size of your fryer you may need to repeat this process 2-3 times. Ensure oil returns to 325°F before each batch is pre-cooked.
6. Increase the temp on the deep fryer to 395°F and allow the oil to preheat. Place the blanched fries carefully into the hot oil. Be sure not to over crowd your fryer. Allow the fries to cook another 5 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy. Remove from fryer and shake off excess oil onto a clean paper towel lined plate. Immediately sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Repeat until all fries are cooked.
7. Divide the fries onto 6 plates and top with cheese equally. Pour the gravy over the cheese and fries and sprinkle with fresh chervil. Serve hot.

Serve and enjoy with Hightail Niagara Cabernet Franc.