HOLIDAY CHICKEN & WAFFLES
Chicken thighs are double-dredged for an extra-crispy coating. Don’t worry if the flour mixture gets a few clumps: It’ll just add more crunch. To make life easier, the chicken can be fried up to a day in advance and reheated in a 400°F (204°C) oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
FRIED CHICKEN
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, about
1 1/2 lbs (680 g)
1 tbsp (15 mL) fine sea salt, divided
1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp (2 mL) fennel seeds, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups (625 mL) buttermilk, divided
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1 egg
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
WAFFLES
1 1/4 cups (310 mL) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 mL) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) fine sea salt
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
2 eggs, separated
BOARD
Cranberry sauce
7 oz (200 g) wedge Roquefort cheese
7 oz (200 g) honeycomb
Sliced Ontario pears, such as
Bosc or Bartlett
Turkish-style dried apricots Microgreens, such as arugula
1 For the fried chicken, open up chicken thighs and cut crosswise into 1-inch (2.5 cm) strips. Place in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with 1 tsp (5 mL) salt, rosemary, fennel and pepper. Toss to coat. Pour in 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) buttermilk. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2 When ready to fry chicken, whisk flour, baking powder, remaining 2 tsp (10 mL) salt and pepper in a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, whisk egg with remaining 1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk. Remove chicken from marinade, draining excess. Pat dry with paper towel.
3 Set 2 wire racks on countertop. Working with 1 piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, turning to coat. Shake off any excess, then dip into egg mixture. Let excess drain back into dish, then return to flour mixture, patting on flour to fully coat. Transfer to wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken. Let stand for 20 minutes.
4 In a large heavy-bottomed pot fitted with a candy thermometer, pour a 2 1/2-inch (6 cm) depth of vegetable oil. Place over medium heat until it registers 350°F (177°C). Working in batches of 5 or 6 pieces, fry chicken, turning often, until deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove with tongs to a baking sheet lined with paper towel. Drain for 5 minutes, remove paper towel and keep warm in a low oven while you make the waffles.
5 For the waffles, preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instructions. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a second bowl, whisk buttermilk, melted butter and egg yolks until combined. With a clean whisk, whip whites in a third bowl until stiff peaks form. Add flour mixture to buttermilk mixture, whisking just until smooth. Using a spatula, gently fold in egg whites until no streaks remain.
6 Brush waffle iron lightly with butter. Spoon batter into iron and cook until golden and lightly crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a rack and repeat with remaining batter.
7 For the board, cut waffles into quarters and arrange on a large board with fried chicken. Fill a bowl with cranberry sauce and place on the board with Roquefort and honeycomb. Tuck pears and dried apricots among other ingredients to fill any gaps. Sprinkle microgreens overtop to finish.
Serves 6 to 8
WHAT TO SERVE
A sparkling wine cuts through all the rich, saltysweet treats, thanks to its complementary tastes and refreshing acidity and bubbles. Served chilled, this local cider achieves the same effect, while its light sweetness and apple flavours provide a wonderful harmony to the board’s fruit, cheese and honeycomb elements.
Outset Sparkling Wine VQA LCBO 14791, 250 mL, $4.65
Coffin Ridge Forbidden Artisanal Cider LCBO 374496, 473 mL, $3.40