Spicy Curry Disco Fries
Who says you can’t eat like a late-night dancing queen in your own home? With the right toppings, French fries can and should be a weeknight dinner unto themselves, and here’s an easy way to make them into a satisfying meal.
In Quebec, they call it “poutine,” but in the 1970s, the good party people of New Jersey gave this diner menu staple the more appropriately festive name of “disco fries.” Now, do you have to go all the way to a dance club and then to a diner to enjoy some cheesy fries topped with gravy? Heck no! And while you’re fixing yourself this anytime blue plate special, why not liven it up even more by providing that gravy the rich, sweet burn of our Brian Boru’s Curry?
Ingredients:
For the fries:
- 2 large potatoes or several small potatoes, chopped into fingers or
wedges - 3–4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the gravy:
- 3 tablespoons of butter
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- 2 cups of your broth of choice (I use vegetable broth)
- 1–2 dashes of soy sauce (optional, but good for lighter broths)
- 4–6 dashes of Brian Boru’s Curry Sauce
- Lots of mozzarella cheese (or other mild melting cheese)
Directions:
To make the fries:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Place the chopped potatoes into a pot and cover them with water by about one inch. Add a hefty pinch of salt and the baking soda, and boil over medium heat until they can be pierced by a fork, about 5–10 minutes.
3. Drain the potatoes. Give them a minute to dry out, and then pour them into a heat-resistant bowl and gently shake them around or graze them with a fork to roughen the edges. Once they have cooled completely, toss them together with the olive oil, salt, and pepper.
4. Empty the bowl onto a large baking sheet, spreading out the potatoes so that each piece lies flush against the sheet. Bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes, until they just begin to brown.
5. Pull out the potatoes, flip them over (no need to be too thorough), and then return to the oven for another 20 minutes.
To make the gravy:
6. Once you’ve put the potatoes in the oven, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the flour and stir constantly for 3–5 minutes, until the flour and butter have thickened and smoothed.
7. Gradually stir in the broth, so that the mixture stays at a simmer and remains as thick as possible. Continue stirring frequently for about 20 minutes, until the gravy is nice and thick. Add soy sauce toward the end for extra umami flavor, if desired. Lastly, add Brian Boru’s Curry Sauce. Stop the heat, cover, and leave on the stovetop until the fries
are finished and out of the oven.
8. Place some fries in each serving bowl and top them with cheese and then gravy. Allow a minute for the dish to cool and the cheese to melt, and then dig in!
Recipe by Craic Crew member Stevie S.
