Monday, September 5, 2011

Waffle Week

As many of you know, the first week of September is

National Waffle Week!



Everybody love waffles. Whether they be sweet or savory doesn't really matter, but, honestly, in our multi-tasking zoom-zoom society who really has the time to break out the old waffle iron and make a batch?


The time honored waffle iron seems to be kind of a one trick pony. It doesn't seem like you can use it for anything else.


Or can you????




Well, the good folks over at Waffleizer have you covered.


Waffelizer is an entire website devoted to other uses for your waffle iron!!!


Behold :



Waffle-Fried Chicken and Waffles

"The idea here is that I was disappointed the first time I tried that iconic dish, chicken and waffles, at the legendary Roscoe's in Los Angeles. I was disappointed because it wasn't a dish like chicken and dumplings or chicken pot pie ... it was just chicken, comma, and a waffle, period. You got a waffle with your chicken like you'd get a side of spaghetti in an Italian restaurant, or a toaster with your checking account. 

I felt like chicken and waffles was missing a fabulous opportunity to create a unified dish — hot juicy chicken, savory waffle, rib-sticking gravy. So I conjured up chicken and waffles that matched my idea of what chicken and waffles should be."


For the Waffle-Fried Chicken
INGREDIENTS
  • Boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts 
  • Buttermilk 
  • All-purpose (AP) Flour 
  • Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper
  • Spices (such as Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Ground Sage, etc.) 
TECHNIQUE
Cut the Chicken Breasts into thin cutlets about 1/8-inch thick (3 mm) and small enough to fit within one waffle square in your waffle maker. Place the cutlets into a mixing bowl and coat with the Buttermilk.

In a large Ziploc® bag combine your favorite fried-chicken coating ingredients — Flour, Kosher Salt, freshly ground Black Pepper, a little Onion and Garlic powder, some Tony Chachere's chicken rub, some ground Sage, a little Cayenne, basically whatever you like.

Toss the cutlets around in the bag until coated, then lay them on a rack to dry for about twenty (20) to thirty (30) minutes.


For the
Savory Waffle Batter
INGREDIENTS
Makes about four (4) 4x5-inch (10x12 cm.) waffle squares; multiply as needed.
  • 1/2 cup Corn Meal [70 grams] 
  • 1/2 cup All Purpose (AP) Flour [60 grams] 
  • 1/2 tablespoon Baking Powder 
  • 1/3 cup Buttermilk [80 ml.] 
  • 1/3 cup whole Milk [80 ml] 
  • 1 Egg 
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt 
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp ground Sage 
  • a couple of shakes of Cayenne pepper 
TECHNIQUE
In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients first. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients.

Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients, taking care not to stir too long. A few lumps are okay.

ASSEMBLY
Make a small pan of Cream Gravy. If you don't know how, go HERE.

Crank up your waffle iron.

When your waffle iron is good and hot, spray generously with canola oil or non-stick spray. Place a piece of Chicken in each square and close the waffle iron tightly.

In a few minutes, open it and see if Chicken looks browned and feels stiff enough that it's cooked through. Remove from the iron and set on a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining Chicken. The Chicken can be made ahead of time up to this point and kept warm in a low oven.

Next, pour some waffle batter into each square and cook per usual practice.

Remove the waffles to a dinner plate. Place the waffled Chicken on each square and slather with Cream Gravy. Serve with crispy Bacon and a good drizzle of Maple Syrup.

Dig in!



Recipe and images courtesy
Michael Gebert and Waffleizer

Adapted by L. M. Sorré

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