Maple Candied Bacon Poutine

Scrub the potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch french fries. Add the fries to a large bowl and cover with water. Toss the fries in the water to remove the starch. Rinse and repeat the washing of the potatoes until the water runs clear. Fill the bowl with water again and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and then top with a rack. Spray the rack generously with non-stick spray. Lay the bacon slices on the rack making sure they don't overlap. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cayenne, and black pepper. Brush the bacon with some of the maple syrup and sprinkle with a third of the brown sugar. Bake for 10 minutes.
Flip the bacon slices over and repeat on the other side, brushing with maple syrup and sprinkling with another third of the brown sugar. Bake for another 10 minutes. Flip the bacon slices again and top with the remaining maple syrup and brown sugar. Bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool briefly before using.

Before blanching, remove the fries from the water and transfer to a tea towel. Thoroughly dry the potatoes off before frying. Prepare a baking sheet lined with several layers of paper towel.
To blanch the fries, heat about 3 inches of vegetable oil in a deep, wide saucepan. Heat the oil to 300°F. Add a third of the fries and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, gently stirring with a slotted spoon occasionally to make sure the fries don’t stick together. Once the fries are soft but before they begin to colour, remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to the paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat two more times until all the fries are blanched.
Transfer the baking sheet to the fridge and chill until the fries are completely cold. You can do this several hours before you want to serve them.

In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and thyme and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add the beef broth along with the beef base and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat to low. Cook gently for 5 minutes then remove from the heat. Strain the broth and set aside. You should have 2 cups of broth.
In a clean saucepan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour to make a roux. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the roux darkens to a golden brown colour. Add the broth to the roux in batches, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Bring the gravy to a boil. Season with the pepper and keep warm until serving.

Heat the oil up to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a rack and set aside. Add a third of the blanched fries to the hot oil, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, and fry for 4 to 6 minutes until they are a deep golden brown and are crispy on the outside. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place on the rack-lined baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle generously with the kosher salt. Repeat two more times.

To serve, rewarm the bacon if needed. Chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces. In a shallow bowl add a layer of fries. Top with a few cheese curds. Repeat with more fries and cheese curds. Spoon the gravy generously over top and then top with the candied bacon. Garnish with parsley if desired and enjoy!