Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) soup vegetables (carrot, onion, celeriac, leek)
- 1 garlic bulb
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) beef bones or 4 cups (1 litre) beef stock
- 2 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 juniper berries
- 3-5 tbsp cornflour
For the chips
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) floury potatoes
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 8 cups (2 litres) canola oil
- For the topping:
- 225 g (8 oz) halloumi
- 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit). For the gravy, wash and coarsely dice the soup vegetables. Place the vegetables, garlic and beef bones on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes.
- Heat the tomato paste and canola oil in a large saucepan. Deglaze with a little water. Transfer the roast vegetables, beef bones, bay leaves and juniper berries to the saucepan and add 8 cups (2 litres) water. Simmer for 2 hours to reduce the liquid by half. (If using beef stock, simply pour over the roast vegetables –you won’t need the beef bones in this case.)
- Strain the liquid into another saucepan through a fine sieve. Bring to the boil. Dissolve the cornflour in 3 tablespoons cold water and slowly whisk into the gravy until it reaches the desired consistency. Set aside.
- Thoroughly wash the potatoes and cut them into chips. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the flour. Heat the oil to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) in a large saucepan. Deep-fry the chips in two batches, stirring occasionally. Cook until golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
- Divide the chips among serving plates and crumble the halloumi over the top. Pour the warm gravy over the chips and serve immediately, garnished with a little parsley.
In many countries, chips are eaten with tomato sauce or vinegar. Try a different, authentically Canadian version of everyone’s favourite fast food with gravy and haloumi cheese. You’ll be hooked in no time!
Also from Taste the Wild:
Canada: the place everyone longs to visit! Who doesn’t dream of setting off into the wild, leaving everyday life behind, to explore new places, taking nothing but a rucksack. Experience nature with an adventure in the wilderness. The breathtakingly beautiful pictures of Canadian forests provide the backdrop for recipes inspired by Canada’s diverse landscapes and people. Whether it’s fluffy blueberry pancakes, tender salmon fillet on a cedar wood board, hearty campfire stew with craft beer or the unique national dish of Canada, poutine, the ingredients and tastes in Taste the Wild paint an enchanting picture of forests and water, plenty and simplicity, campfires and wilderness.
Reprinted with permission from Taste the Wild: Recipes and Stories From Canada by Lisa Nieschlag and Lars Wentrup and published by Murdoch Books, 2019.
