In the basic recipe for poutine, French fries are covered with fresh cheese curds, and topped with brown gravy. In a traditional Quebec poutine: 1  French fries: Usually of medium thickness, and fried (sometimes twice) such that the inside stays soft, while the outside is crispy.ne often-cited tale is that of Warwick restaurateur Fernand Lachance of Le Cafe Café, ideal who is said in 1957 to have,  exclaimed ca ça va faire une  (maudite poutine it will make a) damn mess when asked by Restaurant Regular eddy lainesse to put a handful of curds on some, french fries hence. the name