April 16, 2021

John Joseph

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How to Make Supper Club Popovers

An award-winning recipe from North Dakota

In 1977, Trish Hanson and her husband, Earl, took over his family’s roadhouse in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. They made a few big changes right away.

First, they changed the name, from Suburban Supper Club to Hanson House 313. Then, they went looking for something new to put in the breadbaskets. Trish was partial to popovers, which are steamy, high-rising cousins to dinner rolls made from an eggy batter. She’d eaten them growing up. So, after cold-calling the kitchen at Minnesota’s Lake Minnesota Yacht Club to ask for advice, she came up with a recipe so popular that it won the restaurant the North Dakota Wheat Commission’s Breadwinner Award for excellence in baking in 1996.

Under its different names, Trish says, Hanson House 313 was the longest continuously operating family-run roadhouse in North Dakota—a meat-and-potatoes institution from 1933 to 2007. Former customers still call asking for recipes. Trish is happy to share them with those who ask politely. I got this recipe via my friend Nick, Trish’s son-in-law, and Trish says she’s happy to pass it on to Midwesterner.

Hanson House 313 Popovers

Makes 12-14

Although a muffin pan could work for this recipe, a dedicated popover pan will give you the highest rise and best results. You can find quality pans anywhere online. Nordicware.com has an excellent selection. 

Ingredients
1 dozen large eggs
2 ¾ cups 2% milk
2 ¾ cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar

Preparation
Hand-whisk all ingredients until smooth and frothy. (It’s okay if the batter is a little bit lumpy!) If you have time, transfer the batter to the refrigerator and let it sit overnight. That’ll give you a higher rise.

When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a popover pan. (Try Pam! Nothing works better.) Pour in the batter, filling each cup by a little more than half. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 345 degrees and continue baking for 30-40 minutes, or until puffy and golden-brown. When you remove the pan from the oven, pierce each popover with a knife to release the steam, so they don’t cave in or slump. Serve hot with honey butter.

Try using leftover popovers for sandwiches, stuffing them with scrambled eggs or leftover steak. They also freeze well. Just reheat them in a 350-degree oven for 3-5 minutes.

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