TIPS FOR MAKING CANADIAN POUTINE :

• Use Russet potatoes.  Don’t be tempted to use any other variety of potatoes, especially waxy potatoes such as Yukon gold.  Waxy potatoes are filled with so much water that evaporates when fried, leaving you a hollow, collapsing potato!
• Uniform large fries. Make sure to cut your fries into similar sizes so that they cook at the same rate.  Cut them ½-inch and not any smaller so they can stand up to the rich gravy, otherwise they’ll quickly become droopy and fall apart.
• Transfer fries to water immediately.  Potatoes oxidize, meaning they turn brown when exposed to the air/oxygen, so you’ll want to transfer them to the bowl of cold water as you cut them, as opposed to adding water to the fries once they’re all cut.
• The longer you soak the potatoes in water, the better.  Soaking the potatoes removes the starch which makes for extra crispy fries.
• Thoroughly rinse potatoes.  After you soak the fries, rinse them under cold water until the water turns clear.  This means you have rinsed off any excess starch.
• Thoroughly dry the potatoes. Be sure to thoroughly dry your potatoes after rinsing because any residual water can react with the hot oil and cause it to spatter.
• Use a thermometer!   There isn’t an accurate way to check and adjust your oil temperature without using a thermometer.  A candy or frying thermometer are handy because they clip onto the edge of the pot to ensure it doesn’t slide around and allows you to continuously read the temperature. 
• Fry in batches.  There are a lot of fries, so you might be tempted to cram more fries into a batch at once – but don’t!  You’ll need to fry the French fries in about six batches. Frying too many fries at once makes them less crispy.  It can also make the oil bubble over – dangerous!
• Monitor the French fries.  The first batch of French fries generally will require more time and the last batch typically requires less time, so be flexible and watch those fries!  You’ll also want to monitor the temperature of the oil and adjust the heat as necessary.
• Cool fries after the first fry before frying a second time.  This step isn’t essential but it will create crispier fries. As the fries cool, moisture in the center of the potatoes migrates to the surface of the fries, which is why the surface gets soggy again.  Frying the potatoes for a second time boils off that moisture.  If you don’t let the potatoes rest, the trapped moisture stays in the center of the fries even after the second fry, creating softer fries.   Note: For the crispiest fries, instead of just cooling the fries after the second fry, freeze them by spreading them out on a baking sheet, then frying from frozen.
• You must double fry the potatoes.  In order to ensure the fries are fully cooked on the inside before the outsides crisp up, the fries need to be cooked twice.  If you don’t fry them twice, you’ll end up with undercooked, brown French fries, or soft, greasy, limp French fries.  The Double-Fry Method produces perfectly tender insides and crispy outsides every time.
• Use room temperature cheese curds.  Cold cheese curds won’t soften even when drenched with hot gravy.  Instead, room temperature curds are the only way to go. Remove the cheese curds from the refrigerator when you start heating your oil. 
• Make thick gravy.  You want the gravy on the thicker side so it clings to the French fries and cheese curds and doesn’t just slip.  For thicker gravy, simply simmer longer.
• Adjust to taste.  After the gravy is finished, taste and add more vinegar if you would like a tangier gravy.
• Warm the gravy. After the fries are finished, the gravy will thicken and cool.  Simply reheat the gravy, adding additional broth as needed before drizzling on the poutine. The gravy, needs to be hot enough to soften the curds, but not so hot that it melts them completely or burns your tongue!
• Serve immediately.  Poutine is best served immediately because the fries soften as they sit and the gravy will cool and thicken.