Chicken and Waffles
By John Seymour (Sweet Chick)
Sweet Chick, 164 Bedford Ave at North 8th St, Williamsburg, Brooklyn
(347-725-4793, sweetchicknyc.com)
For the kids:
Chicken ingredients:
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts
½ cup buttermilk
1 tbsp honey
1 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups cornflakes, crushed
Salt and pepper
Waffle ingredients:
Note: This recipe requires a waffle iron
10oz flour
¾ tsp salt
1 tbsp + tsp baking powder
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites
15oz milk
5oz melted butter
2 tbsp + 1 tsp sugar
Cordon bleu sauce ingredients (optional):
1 tbsp shallots, finely diced
1 tbsp olive oil
3oz ham, diced
Cordon bleu sauce ingredients (optional):
2 tsp thyme leaves, picked and chopped
1 cup Gruyére cheese, shredded
½ tsp cornstarch
¼ cup chicken stock
Directions:
For the chicken fingers:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix buttermilk and honey. Season with salt and pepper. Cut chicken into -inch strips. Pour buttermilk mixture over chicken, and toss to coat. Let chicken marinate for 30 minutes. Dredge marinated chicken strips in seasoned flour, dip in egg mixture, then roll in cornflakes. Arrange chicken strips on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for approximately 12 minutes, until chicken fingers are golden brown and chicken is cooked through.
For the waffles:
Combine flour, salt and bakery powder into a bowl. Add yolks, milk and melted butter, and whisk all six ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to a soft peak. Add sugar; whip to a stiff peak. Gently fold whites into the same bowl as other ingredients. Brush the inner surface of the waffle iron with butter. Pour enough batter in your waffle maker to lightly cover the surface of the iron. Cover and cook for five minutes.
For the cordon bleu sauce:
Sweat shallots in olive oil over medium-low heat until soft. Add ham and thyme, and cook until ham is lightly browned. Meanwhile, toss Gruyère with cornstarch and set it aside. Add chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Whisk in Gruyère ¼ cup at a time until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened. Season with salt and pepper, and serve on the side.
For the adults:
Chicken ingredients:
6 lbs chicken (pieces of your choice)
1 quart buttermilk
2 quart flour
½ cup cornstarch
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp dried thyme
2 tbsp salt + 1 tbsp pepper
Brine ingredients:
1 gallon water
1 cup sweet tea
¾ cup salt
¼ cup pepper
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
Directions:
For the fried chicken:
Combine brine ingredients. Brine chicken for 24 hours. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine flour, cornstarch, paprika, thyme, salt and pepper to make dredge mixture. Coat chicken with flour mixture, and shake off excess. Coat chicken pieces with buttermilk. Dredge again in flour mixture and set aside. In a large pan, heat vegetable oil to 300 degrees F. Fry chicken pieces for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through.
For waffles:
Same as kids' recipe.
For cordon bleu sauce:
Serve over hot fried chicken.
