We have been craving chicken and waffles for the longest time. It is such an indulgent combination of ingredients and it's popping up on a lot of restaurant menus these days. We wanted to know if it would be as delicious as it sounds so we decided to make it at home. Ella and I found several recipes to combine to make the dish come together. I have a fried chicken recipe I wrote down in my recipe book when I was a kid, from a friend named Ruth who was from the South. Her fried chicken was the best I’d ever tasted and we always begged her to make it! We have changed it a little by soaking the raw chicken in buttermilk before dredging and then deep frying. The waffle recipe is adapted from a cookbook we love called Smoke & PIckles by Edward Lee. The pickled cucumbers have become a favorite addition to many of our dishes and we thought it would add a little pucker and crunch. Claudia gave Ella a new mandolin for the holidays. It has 8 slicing options, so now Ella can make ridged slices. The spicy honey with pepper flakes galvanized the parts!

serves 6, ready in 2 hours, 10 minutes

Fried Chicken

2 cups buttermilk
6-8 cups peanut oil, depending on size of pot used - recommend 8” high pot
½ cup flour
1 tbsp or more seasoned salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp sweet or smoked paprika
12 chicken thighs and drumsticks
salt
deep fry thermometer

Wash, clean and dry chicken parts and soak them in buttermilk for at least one hour at room temperature (if longer, keep in refrigerator but allow to come to room temp before deep frying). In a large bowl combine the flour, seasoned salt, pepper and paprika, and shake very well. Dredge chicken parts in mixture and let sit on a rack above a baking sheet for 30 minutes. Dredge again to make sure the pieces are fully and thickly coated. Heat oil in pot to 325 degrees. Drop pieces in one at a time, making sure that they are fully immersed in the oil. We fried batches of no more than three at a time. Let chicken brown slowly, until deep golden brown, turning at least once. Frying will take 8-10 minutes for smaller pieces and thighs, at least 10 minutes for drumsticks, longer if they are large. Remove carefully, lay out on paper towel or drying rack. Lightly salt while still warm. Keep warm in oven until waffles are all ready.

Spicy Honey

3 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp sriracha

Mix all ingredients together. Microwave for 5-10 seconds just before plating so honey is thin and pourable.

Quick Pickles

1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 cup of rice wine vinegar
1-2 tbsp water

Waffles

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp of chopped scallions

In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, paprika, and black pepper. Melt the butter in the microwave or stove and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Once the butter is no longer hot, mix with eggs, and buttermilk. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, while whisking constantly. Cook the waffles to your preferred doneness. Leave them whole or cut them diagonally. Top with fried chicken, quick pickles, drizzle with spicy honey and garnish with scallions.