Recipes Snacks Louisiana Cheese Fries with Crayfish and Gravy Be the first to rate & review! In chef Kelly English's Southern twist on Canadian poutine, the fries are topped with spicy pimento cheese, andouille gravy and crawfish, crab or shrimp. Slideshows: More Irresistible Fries By Kelly English Kelly English Why he won Because he's as adept at preparing stunning, seasonal dishes as he is at reinventing French-Creole standouts, like Natchitoches meat pies. Born 1978 Raised New Orleans Education The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Experience Restaurant August and Lüke, New Orleans; La Provence, Lacombe, LA. Career turning point "When I told my dad, who's a lawyer, that I wanted to go to culinary school instead of law school, he was surprisingly excited. He took me to August in New Orleans—we had gnocchi in fennel cream with crab and truffles, and from that first bite, I knew. That dish changed my life." How he decided to open Iris "I was in Memphis with my now-wife, Angela, and I heard about a space that was for sale, a local institution called La Tourelle. Inside, there was a stained-glass fleur-de-lys [a New Orleans symbol]. We went outside and there was a rainbow. I said, 'What's next, a unicorn?' " Culinary inheritance "When my grandmother died, my father and his sisters created a cookbook of all her recipes. We're an eating family, I'm telling you." Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 11, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Jonny Valiant Active Time: 1 hrs Total Time: 3 hrs Yield: 4 Ingredients Pimento Cheese 1 red bell pepper 1 jalapeño 1 pound white cheddar cheese (3 /4 cups shredded) ¼ cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons sour cream ½ tablespoon cilantro (chopped) ½ tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed) ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper Kosher salt Freshly ground pepper Andouille Gravy 1 tablespoon canola oil ½ pound andouille sausage (cut into 1/4-inch dice) ¾ cup onion (finely chopped) ⅓ cup green bell pepper (finely chopped) ½ tablespoon garlic (minced) 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour ¼ cup tomato (chopped) 1 ½ cups chicken stock ¼ cup scallion (thinly sliced) Kosher salt Poutine 4 cups french fries (cooked) ½ pound crayfish tails, jumbo lump crabmeat or chopped shrimp (cooked and shelled) Directions Make the Pimento Cheese Roast the red pepper and jalapeño directly over a gas flame or under a preheated broiler, turning, until charred all over. Transfer the red pepper and jalapeño to a large bowl, cover tightly with plastic and let cool for 15 minutes. Peel, seed and stem the red pepper and jalapeño, then cut them into 1/4-inch dice. In a large bowl, mix half of the red pepper with half of the jalapeño; reserve the rest for another use. Add the cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, lemon juice and cayenne to the bowl and mix well; season with salt and pepper. Chill for at least 2 hours. Meanwhile, Make the Gravy In a medium cast-iron skillet, heat the oil. Add the andouille and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the fat is rendered and the sausage is crispy, 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, 3 minutes. Stir in the green pepper and garlic and cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until incorporated; add the tomato and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until it starts to break down, 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer; cook until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 minutes. Stir in the scallions and season with salt. Make the Poutine Preheat the oven to 450°. Spread the french fries on a heatproof serving platter. Spoon the gravy all over the fries and top with the crayfish. Dollop 1 cup of the pimento cheese all over the fries; reserve the rest for another use. Bake the poutine for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Serve immediately. Make Ahead The pimento cheese and andouille gravy can be refrigerated separately for up to 3 days. Suggested Pairing Refreshing, slightly bitter German pilsner. Rate it Print