This is the second episode in a new series recently launched on the channel where Matt takes foods we all know and love and “Italian-a-fys” them. This episode features the the beloved Margherita Pizza and the Canadian classic poutine combined into one single dish.
As you all must surely know by now Matt is an Italian Canadian. Naturally he absolutely loves Italian food. One of the missions of this channel has always been to take a standard traditional meal and have some fun with it. This is exactly what he does in this video, and will continue to do in future episodes of this series.
Matt’s two food choices for this episode are more than capable of standing alone as meals individually. Poutine actually originated in Canada in the 1950’s and has since become a staple of the country. It is a dish that includes french fries and cheese curds topped with a brown gravy. Yes, that is every bit as delicious as it sounds like it would be.
Rumor has it that in June of 1889 the pizzaiolo Raffaele Esposito invented a dish called “Pizza Margherita” in honor of Margherita of Savoy, the Queen of Italy. He cleverly used color coded toppings to represent the colors of the national flag of Italy. There was a pizza already in existence at this time that was popular in Naples that was quite similar, though no one has ever unequivocally proven that the original Margherita was not created in honor of the queen.
Step one in the creation of this outstanding dish is to make your fries. Matt has chosen to use Russet potatoes because he loves the way they cook. They yield a superior fry perfect for this dish. Cut your potatoes up as seen in the video and follow Matt’s instructions to blanch them prior to frying.
While those are blanching it’s time to get started on the Sugo sauce. In a medium saucepan combine olive oil, onions, and garlic on medium heat and let it cook down stirring constantly to avoid burning. Once cooked down add in crushed tomatoes, a quarter stick of butter, and any seasonings you feel are a good fit. Stir the contents of the saucepan until you reach a smooth, even consistency and your butter is fully melted. At that point take your saucepan off the heat.
Your potatoes should be blanched by this point so go ahead and pull them out and add them to a bowl. Dust them lightly with flour and add them slowly in stages to your hot oil. You don’t want to overcrowd the pot and bring the whole temperature down. Transfer the fries to a paper towel lined plate as they get done.
Once your fries are done you are all set to plate your dish. Add a generous amount of fries to a dish and lightly salt them. Top those with buffalo mozzarella. Add the Sugo sauce on to the top of the dish as seen in the video. Add some basil and any additional spices you see fit to at this time and finish it all off with some parmesan cheese.
That is all there is to it. You now have the best of two worlds combined into one single delicious dish. As always thank you for watching. We hope you enjoyed this unique recipe and that you’ll come back soon for more stellar content. Be sure to subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss any updates.