Chicken and waffles – a soul food classic that combines sweet and savory in the most irresistible way. Today, we're taking this comfort food favorite to new heights with a gourmet chicken and waffles recipe that's sure to tantalize your taste buds.What makes this recipe gourmet? We're talking candied jalapeños for a touch of sweet heat, balanced perfectly with the richness of real maple syrup from Vermont. Topped with a piece of our delicious Southern fried chicken, this dish is an explosion of textures and flavors in every single bite.
Mix dry waffle ingredients. Mix wet waffle ingredients. Combine mixtures with an immersion blender until smooth.
Cook the waffles in a waffle iron coated with nonstick spray.
Make the Fried Chicken
Mix all fried chicken coating ingredients together and reserve.
Combine all the chicken brine ingredients. Boil for 2 minutes. Cool in the refrigerator.
Once the brine is cold, brine chicken tenders in the mixture for 2 hours.
Dip chicken in buttermilk, then dip in flour coating, and repeat once. Fry to order.
Make the Apple Butter
Take the water and vinegar and bring to a boil. Add the quartered apples, leave skin and core INTACT. Simmer for 20 minutes. Pass apple mixture through a tammi. Add to a large saute pan with remaining ingredients. Simmer for an additional hour. Cool and reserve. Makes 3 Gallons.
Tabasco Reduction
Reduce 1 bottle Tabasco sauce by half, weigh, add 1% agar agar, puree, chill, puree again. Store or use.
Make the Candied Jalapeños
Blanch sliced jalapenos in simple syrup, place on dehydrator sheets, dehydrate until crisp.
Final Preparation
Place one waffle on a serving plate with a tablespoon of melted butter on top. Top the waffle with the fried chicken, candied jalapenos, and a heavy dose of pure maple syrup. Decorate plate with Tabasco reduction and apple butter, if desired.
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Notes
Here's the deal: for busy home cooks, I absolutely recommend using a store-bought waffle mix, jarred apple butterand non-brined chicken. This way, you can whip up this gourmet dish without spending hours in the kitchen. You can also use premade fried chicken!