r/poutine • u/MayorOfMayoCity • Nov 19 '25

Best potato to use to make real dark crispy casse croute poutine fries ?

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

11 comments sorted by

9

u/MrChicken23 Nov 19 '25

Red potato.

6

u/reward72 Nov 19 '25

Traditional Quebec poutines use red potatoes. They are sweeter and brown darker. They also dont crisp up as much. Crispy fries are great by themselves, but they dont belong in a traditional poutine.

4

u/jeepsies Nov 19 '25

Red potatoes soaked in water and then cooked twice

3

u/MontrealCalling2 Nov 19 '25

Red potatoes.

3

u/cybordelic Nov 20 '25

Not doubting the fact that red potatoes are the o.g. for poutine, but I thought russet potatoes made the crispiest fries due to low moisture and thick skin

0

u/Plasmanut Nov 19 '25

The type of potato doesn’t matter as much as the age of the potato. Older potatoes make darker fries. Pay attention to fries you make in late winter or early spring with potatoes harvested in late summer compared to fries you make in August or September with new potatoes.

Personally, I like Yukon Gold (yellow) potatoes the aise they have a slightly sweeter taste.

0

u/randomandy Nov 19 '25

I find the best fries I eat from chip trucks or takeout are always Yukon Gold. I think the darkness comes for proper blanching of them when cooking. "Fresh Cut" froes always have this waxyness coat that protects the outside from getting dark due to not being rinsed and blanched. Also, frying them 2x helps with colour without overcooking them.

3

u/Alexandermayhemhell Nov 19 '25

True for fries. Not for poutine. Traditional Quebec poutine uses red potatoes which are less crispy and sweeter. 

1

u/randomandy Nov 19 '25

I didn't know that. Now I gotta try red potatoes, thanks for the tip.

7

u/Alexandermayhemhell Nov 19 '25

It’s a bit of a mind warp for most Canadians’ conception of poutine if they’ve never had Québécois poutine - which is increasingly common as the dish has spread across the country. 

Typically with fries you want that crispiness… even more so if you’re putting gravy on top. But that’s not what a traditional poutine is like. I’d argue, too, that a crispy fry is suited to “Canadian” poutine that just has a few not-so fresh curds on top. In that case the fries are the main ingredient and need their structure. 

With traditional poutine, the curds are a thick layer on top and the whole focus of the dish is the squeaky curds. If they’re melted or “have cheese pull”, they’re not fresh. But if they are fresh, the focus should be on their chewy texture and tangy flavour. A crispy fry would fight against the chewy curds. The red potato, on the other hand, sits in the background texture-wise, especially if you’ve got as much curd as fries. And the sweeter taste goes well with the tangy curd. 

Sadly, there are likely more people now who have had “crispy fries + a few stale curd” poutines than have had a proper “fresh curds served over red potato fries” poutine.