Is there something more traditional in Quebec than a spring visit to a Sugar Shack? I don’t think so.
A folkloric atmosphere, the comforting warmth of a wood stove, and the odours, from the burning logs, from the wood furniture, and especially the aromas from the kitchen.
There are a few cabanes à sucre in the National Capital Region, and this time, la Sucrerie du Terroir drew the lucky number, and 6 of us plus a baby headed over, on a sunny springy morning.
Located in Val-des-Monts, La Sucrerie du Terroir is very traditional, smaller than most shacks, making it a very cozy place. The staff was very friendly, and were wearing traditional costumes. Although they do not sell booze, you can bring your own.
First came the French Toast.
A classic appetizer.
Nothing fancy, just some thick white bread soaked in eggs and milk and fried.
Covered with maple syrup, they sure started our meal the right way.
All you can eat.
Then came the main meal, with the beans.
They were nothing special, no meat, making it vegetarian-friendly, just plain beans baked in molasses.
The texture was nice, but it was a bit bland.
Which is why you smother them in maple syrup.
ll you can eat.
Another side dish – les oreilles de crisse – was a better hit.
Deep Fried Smoked Pork Fat – sorry, Jowls. What can be wrong with that?
Actually, they were Bacon Rinds.
They were quite dry and salty, so to re-establish the balance, you soak them into maple syrup.
All you can eat.
Of course, you need some home fries. Potatoes are a classic fare for a sugar shack meal.
These were very small, crispy, a bit greasy.
They don’t go as well with maple syrup, so I focussed on ketchup.
All you can eat.
Maple Smoked Ham and country-style sausages were also on display.
The ham was a pre-cooked one, as opposed to an all-natural. Still good.
The sausage were juicy. Nothing like meat in a tube.
The meat went down with a nice touch of maple syrup.
All you can eat.
The master piece was definitely the omelette.
Oven baked in a cast iron pan, it was fluffy, with crunchy edges.
Is stayed warm throughout the brunch.
The great thing was, with maple syrup, it was melt in your mouth.
All you can eat.
For dessert, we got maple mousse tartellettes.
Some of us couldn’t add any more sugar to their diet. Their loss.
The sugar maple filling was very sweet, but quite smooth.
The crust was a bit crispy, a bit moist – showing that they were not super fresh and sat in a fridge for a little while.
I sprinkled a bit of maple syrup to season them properly.
The 6 of us had a half-bottle of syrup with our meal.
I would say we were quite reasonable.
It was a good quality syrup, a nice amber, rich colour.
Grade Canada B medium.
All you can drink.
And to digest all this delicious food, nothing like maple toffee on ice.
It wasn’t a cold day, and snow was getting sparse, but it was fresh enough for the delicious instant candy to solidify and remain fairly solid on the stick.
For some reason, I was the only one of our group to indulge.
I don’t get it.
I did however spend the rest of the day recovering from the sugar crash.
23$ per person.
All you can eat.
Money well spent.