Sage Fried Chicken And Bacon Waffles Recipes

FRIED CHICKEN AND WAFFLES

Steps:

• For the chicken: In a small bowl, mix together 1 3/4 teaspoons salt, zest and paprika. Sprinkle the breasts evenly with the mixture on all sides, rubbing the mixture into the chicken gently. Place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes in the top so that air can circulate around the chicken. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Heat a 10-inch, straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the oil so it comes 1 inch up the side. Heat the oil until it reaches 325 degrees F on a deep-fry thermometer.
• In a shallow bowl or pie plate, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, remaining salt and the black pepper. Dredge each breast in the dry mixture, making sure each piece is covered well with the mixture. Place each piece of chicken in the hot oil, letting it fall away from you, as to not splash yourself with hot oil. Fry the chicken for 10 minutes on the first side. Gently flip each piece of chicken and continue cooking on the other side until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the oil and allow it to drain for 5 minutes on a paper-towel-lined plate.
• For the waffles: Preheat a standard waffle iron. With a whisk, mix together the waffle mix, 1 1/2 cups water, the vegetable oil and cinnamon until smooth. Lightly spray the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Ladle approximately 3/4 cup of the batter into the iron and cook until the waffle is golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the waffle to a plate and repeat with remaining batter.
• Serve the chicken and waffles hot, with maple syrup and butter.

CHICKEN AND BACON WAFFLES

Steps:

• Make the waffle batter: Dice 10 bacon slices; cook in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Add the remaining 6 bacon slices to the skillet and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove to the paper towels; reserve the drippings in the skillet.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk the whole eggs, buttermilk and melted butter in a separate bowl, then whisk into the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the cooked diced bacon. Transfer 2 cups of the batter to a separate large bowl for the chicken; reserve the remaining batter for the waffles.
• Make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Add the peanut oil to the skillet with the reserved bacon drippings; heat over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees F. Add the thyme, paprika and cayenne to the 2 cups waffle batter; add up to 2 tablespoons buttermilk if the batter is too thick. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper, then toss with the flour. Add the chicken to the batter and set aside until ready to fry.
• Set a rack on a baking sheet. Working in batches, remove the chicken from the batter, letting the excess drip off, then fry until golden brown, 2 minutes per side; transfer to the rack and season with salt. Transfer to the oven and bake until no longer pink in the middle, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the waffles: Spray a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Whisk the egg white in a bowl until soft peaks form; fold into the reserved waffle batter. Ladle 1/2 to 1 cup batter into the waffle iron for each waffle and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve with the fried chicken, bacon slices and maple syrup.