Reinvent Classic Potato Dishes

Q:

This one is from the Doctor himself... It's time to re-invent the classic potato dishes instead of tossing them out for untried experimentation... Agree or disagree?

A:

I see this all the time now. Take the classic French Canadian recipe for Poutine, with French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. In today’s Chicago Tribune one location features the fresh made fry dish but with the addition of chicken confit and a spicy curry. Another I tasted recently used chicken thighs as the protein. Korean beef has found its way on top of loaded fries, same thing with shredded pork in a tomatillo Verde sauce. Think about substitutes instead of the thick brown gravy usually added to the Poutine. Just this week I was blown away by a version of Poutine that was all vegetarian, using marinated Portobello mushroom strips instead of meat.

And how about a change in presentation by using a cast iron skillet (to help keep the fries and gravy warm) instead of the typical plate?