There aren’t a lot of recipes that can claim a heritage of both the soul food tradition and Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, but chicken and waffles traces its roots to both. While the exact origins of the dish are unknown, waffles found their way to the American diet as early as the 1600s with the arrival of European colonists. Their popularity rose after 1789 when it became known that Thomas Jefferson had purchased a waffle maker while in France. Waffles served with chicken and gravy were noted as a common Sunday dish among the Pennsylvania Dutch by the 1860s and were considered a special occasion meal by African Americans in the South. The dish can be served in a variety of ways, with standard breakfast toppings for the waffles, or, as with this recipe, combined to create a savory open-faced sandwich.
Recipe Servings: 4
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
- 2 Tbsp salt, divided
- 1 Tbsp ground black pepper
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cornstarch
- 1 qt peanut oil, for frying
- 8 chicken tenders
Maple-Mayonnaise:
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp horseradish
- 1 tsp dry mustard powder
Assembly:
Directions
- Whisk together the eggs, cream, cayenne pepper, 1 tablespoon salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon salt in a paper bag, shaking to mix.
- Dip the chicken into the beaten egg mixture, and then place it in the bag with flour mixture, shaking to coat.
- Transfer the breaded chicken to a wire rack; do not stack. Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes.
- Heat about 3 inches of oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 375°F.
- Fry the chicken, in small batches, 5–8 minutes until golden-brown. Transfer chicken to paper towel to drain.
- Combine the mayonnaise, maple syrup, horseradish, and mustard powder in a medium bowl.
- Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Place four waffles on a baking sheet, top each waffle with two chicken tenders, three slices of bacon, and two slices of cheddar.
- Broil open-face for 3–5 minutes until the cheese melts and then remove baking sheet from the oven.
- Toast the remaining four waffles in a toaster.
- Spread the maple-mayonnaise over the toasted waffles and place each one on top of the other four waffles stacked with toppings to make four sandwich-like servings.
For Chicken:
For Maple-Mayonnaise:
For Assembly:
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