I first heard about chicken and waffles in one of my favorite novels, Mildred Pierce
by James M. Cain, one of the great noir masters. (You may have seen the 1945 film by the same name with Oscar-winner Joan Crawford--also one of my favorite film noirs.) In the novel, Mildred opens her own restaurant and works her way up the social and financial ladder by specializing in selling chicken and waffles. Ever since reading this, I've been intrigued by the idea. After doing some more research, I learned that this seemingly-odd combination is actually pretty common fare in the South, and is also frequently prepared in other parts of the country as creamed chicken and waffles. I figured it was worth a try, and was pleasantly surprised by the outcome. Of course, nothing was new about the fried chicken, and nothing especially new about fixing waffles; however, these are cornbread waffles, so in that respect they are very different from any you would normally eat. I also found in doing my research that many people actually make regular, breakfast-style waffles (which I have yet to try with this dish), but I do think the cornbread waffles are a nice change-up from the typical cornbread that I would otherwise make. |
| Nothing says "South" like chicken frying in a cast iron skillet! |
1 frying chicken, cut up
buttermilk (about 4-6 cups)
1 c. all purpose flour
1 T. salt
1 1/2 T. paprika
dash of pepper
about 2/3 c. oil for frying
Place chicken in container where all sides of each piece can be covered with buttermilk. The amount of buttermilk needed will depend on the size of the chicken and the container in which it is placed. Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator and allow to marinate at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl (or bag) mix flour, salt, paprika and pepper. Place each piece of buttermilk-coated chicken in flour mixture and coat generously, being sure to cover entire surface. In a large cast-iron skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, until hot enough so that drops of water will sizzle when sprinkled onto it. Place dredged chicken in hot oil, one piece at a time, making sure that no piece directly touches another. Do not overcrowd skillet. You will most likely have to fry the chicken in two or three batches. Fry on each side about 5-6 minutes, or until golden and crispy, then transfer onto foil-lined baking sheet. When all chicken has been browned and transferred onto baking sheet, place in oven and bake for about 35 minutes, or until juices run clear.
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/4 c. cornmeal
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. butter, melted (or use oil from skillet in which chicken was fried)
1 egg
2/3 c. milk
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add butter or oil, egg and milk. Stir until combined (batter will be lumpy). Pour into hot, greased waffle iron, and bake until done. Serve hot.
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| Buttermilk fried chicken, cornmeal waffles and green beans...welcome to the South! |
Hmmm....so...syrup then? Or ketchup? Or, wait, no...gravy? I'm confused...ah, but nevermind me, I live "Up North."
ReplyDeleteStephanie, it's my understanding that you can top it with whatever you like. We, however, ate them plain because the chicken has enough flavor on its own, and the waffle is like a substitute cornbread...this would be very customizable, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteThe regular, breakfast-style waffles work well if the fried chicken is cooked in a slightly sweet coating... think something that would go well with syrup and butter! Also, I had no idea that the reference goes all the way back to Mildred Pierce (or before). My significant other, who is a full-on midwesterner, thought that "Chicken and Waffles" was a joke combination, originally, until we were in Atlanta and passed by Gladys Knight & Ron Winan's Chicken and Waffles!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know Gladys Knight had a restaurant...I love her!
ReplyDelete