The marriage of chicken and waffle was made in … well, Harlem. Maybe. Or Pennsylvania Dutch country. Or on Thomas Jefferson’s plantation after the well-traveled sophisticate brought a waffle iron home from France.
In any event, it doesn’t much matter, as the marriage of crisp, juicy fried chicken and crusty, golden waffle was truly made in culinary heaven. The matrimony of salty-crunchy chicken skin and moist, succulent flesh with crusty-creamy-buttery waffle is something no one who loves good food should dare put asunder.
Yielding to no one in our love of good food, we couldn’t help but reach out to Daniel Moore, executive chef at Burt & Max’s (Delray Marketplace, 9089 W. Atlantic Ave., 561/638-6380) for his recipe on how to prepare this ever-so-humble but thoroughly divine dish. It’s a taste of heaven on good ol’ terra firma.
—Bill Citara
FRIED CHICKEN & WAFFLES
Daniel Moore, executive chef, Burt & Max’s
1 whole chicken
2 cups buttermilk
1 package ranch dressing
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon each, Lowry’s Seasoned Salt and poultry seasoning
Vegetable oil (for frying)
1 batch waffles from your favorite recipe
Maple syrup and hot sauce
Preparation: Cut up chicken, separating legs and thighs and each half-breast and wing (with wing bone) from carcass. Reserve carcass for stock or another use. Mix ranch dressing with buttermilk and marinate chicken pieces for 24 hours. Heat enough oil to fill approximately one-third of a cast-iron skillet to 300 degrees. Mix flour, seasoned salt and poultry seasoning. Remove chicken pieces from marinade and dredge in flour mixture. Carefully place chicken pieces in hot oil and fry until crisp and golden, turning once or twice, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached at the thickest part of the thigh, approximately 15 minutes.
While chicken is cooking, prepare waffles according to favorite recipe. Keep warm in oven until chicken is ready. When chicken pieces are done, remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels. To serve, place one or two pieces atop a waffle and present with maple syrup and hot sauce on the side.
