Canadian Maple Leaf Fritters
Maple leaves, maple syrup, beer, pancake batter… could you get any more Canadian than this?
These fritters are a really tasty springtime treat!
I say springtime, because you want nice fresh tender spring leaves for this recipe, not the tough big leaves of summer.
Ingredients
- 3 handful young sugar maple leaves
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbs maple syrup (plus more to serve)
- 1/3 cup neutral or sweet beer
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup butter
- Flaky salt to finish
Instructions
- Rinse off and dry the leaves. Remove any large stems (small tender stems are okay).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, beer, and salt. Slowly whisk in the flour until mostly combined (a few clumps is okay, don’t overwork it). Set aside to rest for 5 minutes.
- Add the leaves to the batter and mix well so that the leaves are tangled and completely coated in batter.
- Heat up the butter in a cast iron pan or skillet over medium high heat. Using your fingers, pluck out about 1/6 of the leaves and plop them into the hot butter in a vaguely circular shape. Don’t press down on it. Repeat with the other 5/6s of the leaves (do this in two batches if the skillet is too small). Pour any leftover batter onto the tops of the cooking fritters.
- Cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Serve immediately, drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with flaky salt. These go well with the beer you cracked to make them too. Enjoy!