BRUNCH LIFE: Chicken and Waffles

There are two kinds of people in this world: those who like mustard and those who don’t. For this recipe you have to love mustard. This recipe takes two staples of the South - biscuits and gold sauce – and turns them into one epic brunch sandwich. The two work so well together: the super-buttery biscuit waffle coupled with hot and crispy fried chicken and the tanginess of the mustard barbecue sauce. Hand. Held. Perfection.

Fried Chicken Thighs

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

3 cups (750 ml) buttermilk

16 cups (4L) canola oil

3 cups (730 ml) all-purpose flour

1 tsp (5ml) onion powder

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

½ tsp (2 ml) black pepper

Broccoli and Cranberry Slaw

2 small bunches broccoli, cut into florets and then into matchsticks

1 large carrot, grated

½ cup (125 ml) dried cranberries

3 tbsp (45 ml) mayonnaise

1 tsp (5 ml) salt

1 tsp (15 ml) white vinegar

1 tsp (5 ml) Buffalo-style hot sauce

Carolina Sauce

1 cup (250 ml) yellow mustard

½ cup (125 ml) pure maple syrup

1 tbsp (15 ml) balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp (1 ml) paprika

Spicy Mini Biscuit Waffles

2 cups (500 ml) all-purpose flour

1 tbsp (15 ml) white sugar

1 tbsp (15 ml) baking powder

1 tsp (5ml) salt

½ cup (75 ml) vegetable shortening, frozen

1 cup (250 ml) 2% or whole milk

3 tbsp (45 ml) Buffalo-style hot sauce

Crispy thighs

Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl and cover with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Fill a deep-fryer or large pot with canola oil and heat to 350F (180C).

In another large bowl whisk together the flour, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk one piece at a time and dredge it in the seasoned flour. Give each piece of chicken a good squeeze to ensure it is covered in flour and the coating is packed tightly. The more packed it is, the crispier the chicken will be. Place the chicken in the fryer o pot and cook for 12 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 160F (70C). Drain the chicken on paper towels.

Vegetables in your friend chicken?

Make the broccoli and cranberry slaw while the chicken marinates. In a medium bowl combine the broccoli, carrot, cranberries, mayonnaise, salt, vinegar, and hot sauce. Mix thoroughly and set the slaw aside in the refrigerator to allow flavours to mingle.

To make the Carolina Sauce, in a medium bowl, whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and paprika. Set aside the sauce.

Time to Biscuit, baby

Preheat a non-stick waffle iron. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use the large holes of a cheese grater to grate the frozen shortening into the dry ingredients. Crumble the grated shortening and flour together with your fingers until the mixture resembles pea-sixe crumbles. Add the milk and hot sauce and stir to form a dough. Using your hands, form the dough into 12 balls about the size of a golf ball (about 1 ounce/30 grams each). Grease the waffle iron and put 1 dough ball in each of your waffle iron’s sections, far enough apart that the waffles won’t touch. Cook for 6 minutes, or until the waffles are golden brown. Repeat until you have 12 mini waffles.

Sauce it up

Dip all the fried chicken thighs into the Carolina sauce. To assemble, place 6 spicy mini biscuit waffles on a platter. Top each with a chicken thigh and ¼ cup (60 ml) broccoli and cranberry slaw. Sandwich with another spicy mini biscuit waffle. It may help to skewer your mini sandwiches.