The Laroche family beavertails
This is one of my best times of the year for me. Meet up with my family at Easter, at the family sugar shack, to "lick the palette" and eat a wonderful meal that we all prepare together (hey, we're still around sixty!!).
We always end up with a ton of desserts concocted by aunt Nicole, but above all, with these famous crispy pancakes that look like beaver tails, but even better!
Here is the recipe, the same as the one published in the book Icitte. Do not hesitate to go and get this book, it is a delight to read while eating a beaver tail (or at any time!), very well illustrated and so funny. You will recognize yourself as Quebecers – Greetings to the Lumineau sisters!
For about 20 small beavertails:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 eggs
325 ml water
200 ml milk
1 tbsp. tablespoons melted butter
Neutral oil (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, etc.) for cooking
In a large bowl, mix 1/2 cup flour with the salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar.
Add the eggs and mix well until there are no lumps. Add the milk, then the water, mixing well between each addition.
Gradually add the remaining flour, stirring, until there are no lumps.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Melt the butter, add it to the mixture and mix.
In the still hot pan, add a little oil (about 1/4 cup, but depending on the size of your pan, it should be well covered with a good amount of oil). When it starts to smoke and the pan is hot, add a ladle of the mixture, making a beaver tail shape (oval). Don't make it too thick! Flip when the batter begins to be less runny on top of the beavertail. Each side should be nicely browned and crispy.
Repeat for each beavertail, making sure there is enough hot oil left in the pan for each to become crispy.
Spread them with maple butter, lemon and sugar, sugar and cinnamon, salted caramel from The Lichee, or just syrup maple! In short, whatever you want!
*Beaver tails freeze. To serve them, do not thaw them. Simply put them in the oven at 350F until they become crispy again. At the limit, put them in the toaster (but not in the microwave, they would soften too much!).