The lacquemant

Although created at the fun fair Antwerp, is a culinary specialty of the region of Liège.
It is a thin, flexible wafer, made from wheat, cut in half over its thickness, filled and topped with candy sugar syrup perfumed with orange blossom.

History

The inventor of lacquemant, in 1903, is Désiré Smidts, better known under the name Désiré de Lille, who then works at Établissements Lacquemant, a Lille chip shop, before settling in Liège.
His descendants continue this culinary tradition that was born in the folklore of carnivals and are established in Liege and Antwerp. The Etablissements Lacquemant are still active in Lille but do not manufacture this wafer.

The name of his delicacy is a tribute to Berthe Lacquemant, his former employer who had introduced her for the first time in the Meuse city. The origin of the recipe is inspired by the waffle filled Lille but accompanied by a syrupy composition. The exact recipe of the wafer, and especially the syrup that accompanies it, remains confidential from father to son.

Now relatively little consumed at the carnival of Antwerp, they are, however, tasted in very large quantities in all fairgrounds in the region of Liège and especially during the fair in October.
Eating them hot or cold and deciding who can take the last one - the one who soaks in the syrup - is always a subject of discussion that unleashes the passions.

Lacquemant can be sold individually. It is then served in a small paper cone whose base has been folded in order to harvest the syrup. But, more often, lacquemants are sold by box of six units. They can then be tasted at home after a short microwaving if necessary.

The origins of the October Fair in Liège are very old, they go back to the very birth of the city.
It is supposed that pilgrims who came to pray at the tomb of Saint Lambert, who died in 705, brought merchants to settle for a few days on their pilgrimage route.
The fair is mentioned in a document only in 1129.
Today the October Fair of Liège is one of the largest in Belgium (more than 1 km through the magnificent Parc d'Avroy). Strong sensations abound with nostalgic rides and games rooms.

Recipe

The Lacquemant recipe of the October fair in Liège

All Liegeois knows their taste and awaits them every year during the famous fair of October of Liege.

Ingredients for 60 lacquemants

• 600 gr of wheat flour
• 25 g of yeast
• 20 g of egg yolk
• 200 g of butter
• 100 g of candy syrup
• 250 g lukewarm milk
• 50 g caster sugar
• 5g of salt
• vanilla

Syrup

• 100 g of candy syrup
• 125 g caster sugar
• 50 g of honey
• 100 g of butter
• 10 g of water
• Orange Blossom
• cinnamon

Doug

Make a smooth dough with the first ingredients and let double.
Make dough pieces of 20 g and lengthen to 10 cm
Bake in a fine-meshed iron, cut horizontally and stuff with the syrup

Syrup

Bring all ingredients to a boil and cool.

You can keep them in a sealed box for 4 to 5 days in the fridge or freeze them in several portions. When you want to eat some, take them out of the freezer and let them thaw naturally, do not put them in the microwave.

Enjoy !

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