Chicken and Waffles & other recipes!

Last week the area representative for one of the student exchange programs called to see if I would be interested in hosting another exchange student from Germany until the end of the school year and I said yes. I love to have someone else here to get another opinion from when I make new recipes! (That’s not the only reason…) Anyway, the second night he was here I made Chicken and Waffles! I thought he might as well get used to the fact that I try different things! I also had another friend over so I can get three opinions on this one. To tell the truth - I was a little skeptical about the whole thing but the picture looked so good and I kept hearing ads on TV about Chicken and Waffles so I just had to try it. I would definitely make it again. The other two that tried it agreed that it was good. They cleaned their plates anyway.
This recipe came from the April 2011 issue of “Cuisine at home” magazine.

Chicken and Waffles

You might be a little suspicious of savory waffles with chicken and gravy, but they’re a late-night diner favorite. One bite and you’ll be all for them. (That’s definitely waffling but in a good way!)
The crisp waffle, hot chicken, and traditional milk gravy are good, but a generous drizzle of maple syrup takes the whole plate over the top.
If your kitchen isn’t stocked with buttermilk and cornmeal for the waffles, just substitute with additional milk and flour. The waffles won’t be as flavorful, but will still scratch the breakfast-y itch.
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. cornmeal
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. kosher salt
2 t. poultry seasoning
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. buttermilk
4 (6 oz. each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts - seasoned with salt, dried thyme, and black pepper
3 T. all-purpose flour
3 T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. milk
1/4 c. chopped scallions
Warm maple syrup
Preheat waffle iron to high according to manufacturer’s instructions.
For the waffles, combine 1/2 c. flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, poultry seasoning, and cayenne in a large bowl.
Whisk together egg, egg white, 1/2 c. milk, and buttermilk in a small bowl; whisk into flour mixture just until blended. Coat waffle iron with nonstick spray and pour in about 1 cup waffle batter. Cook waffle about 5 minutes, remove and keep warm; repeat cooking with remaining batter.
For the chicken, dredge each breast in the 3 T. flour. (Reserve leftover dredging flour for gravy.)
Heat 3 T. oil in large saute pan over medium-high. Add chicken and saute until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, flip chicken and saute until done, about 6 minutes; remove chicken.
For the gravy, add reserved flour to pan to make a roux. Cook roux 1-2 minutes. Slowly add 1 1/2 c. milk, whisking continuously to make a smooth gravy, Simmer gravy until thickened, 5 minutes; add scallions and season with salt and black pepper.
To serve, top half of a waffle with a chicken breast, 1/4 c. gravy, and a drizzle of syrup.
Note: When combined, the buttermilk and egg mixture for the waffles will look lumpy, but that’s OK.
Another note: I brine the chicken breasts first as that makes them really juicy.)

Brine

Brining enhances the flavor of lean meats, makes them moister and facilitates their browning in the oven. It is easy to do and the payoff is big!
Minimally, my brine consists of water, sugar and salt. I add other flavor agents as they appeal to me, such as substituting sweeteners such as brown sugar, honey, molasses, maple syrup; using fruit juices, beer, or wine as part of the water component; adding aromatics such as garlic, onion, ginger, citrus and other fruits; using herbs and spices including chilies and pickling spice.
Brine protein in non-reactive bowls or pots, zip top freezer bags, buckets or coolers depending on the size of protein. Always keep brining protein in the refrigerator or below 40 degrees.
Here are two brining recipes; prepare as described and finesse with the flavoring agents you like:
Kosher Salt: Whole Turkey 2 c. - Other Lean meats 2/3 c.
Sugar: Whole Turkey 1 c. - Other Lean meats 1/4 c. plus 2 T.
Water: Whole Turkey 2 G. plus 8 c. - Other Lean meats 10 c.
In a small pot place salt, sugar and a portion of the total water called for, enough for the salt and sugar to dissolve in. Bring to a simmer, add aromatics, herbs and spices and stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Remove from heat and cool. Pour into bringing container and add balance of cold water or other liquid. You can add some of that liquid in the form of ice water to make sure the brine is cold before adding the protein.
Completely submerge protein in brine, weighing it down with a plate if need be. Cover with plastic and refrigerate. When done, remove protein from brine and rinse well. Discard used brine.
Whole Chicken: 4 - 8 hours
Chicken Pieces: 2 - 4 hours
Whole Turkey: 1 1/2 hours/lb
Turkey Breast: 4 - 8 hours
Cornish Game Hens: 1 - 2 hours
Pork Chops: 1 - 2 hours
Pork Tenderloin: 2 - 3 hours
Boneless Pork Loin: 4 - 6 hours

The following recipe I didn’t get any wrinkled noses as I did when I mentioned the Chicken and Waffles!

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) butter
2 cups + 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon butterscotch flavor or vanilla-butternut flavor - optional
3 large eggs
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder - optional
2 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
3 cups chocolate chips - or a combination of different flavored chips, or chips and nuts
* *Use 1 teaspoon salt if you use unsalted butter.
1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9” x 13” pan.
2) Melt the butter, and stir in the brown sugar. Add the salt, vanilla, and flavor, stirring until well combined.
3) Allow the mixture to cool slightly (if it’s very hot to the touch), then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl midway through this process.
4) Add the baking powder, espresso powder, and flour, stirring to combine.
5) Stir in the chips or other additions of your choice.
6) Scoop the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it to the edges with a wet spatula (or your wet fingers). Smooth the top as best you can.
7) Bake the bars for 30 to 32 minutes, until they’ve risen, and their top is shiny and golden. A cake tester inserted into the center won’t come out clean; in fact, the center of the very middle of the pan may look quite molten when you dig into it. But so long as no wet batter is showing farther out towards the edges, the bars are done. As they cool, the center will solidify.
8) Remove the bars from the oven, and use a heat-proof spatula to press down the risen edges; this will make bars with flat, rather than humped tops. Let the bars cool completely before cutting; overnight is best. Once bars are cool, wrap airtight. Store wrapped bars at room temperature for a couple of days. Yield: 2 dozen bars.
Note: I browned the butter first instead of using the butterscotch flavoring. Print this post