Cornbread Waffles and Chicken
Ingredients
Fried Chicken
- 2 pounds bone in chicken pieces
- 4 cups prepared sweet tea, cooled
- 1 lemon, quartered
- ¼ cup kosher salt
- 4 sage leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups self rising flour
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Sorghum syrup, for serving
- Hot sauce, for serving
Cornbread Waffles
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups coarse ground white cornmeal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- Pinch baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup bacon drippings, melted
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 ounces thinly sliced country ham
- 6 fresh sage leaves, torn
Instructions
Brine the Chicken
- In a large bowl, combine the sweet tea, lemon, salt, sage, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Add the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.
Fry the Chicken
- Combine the flour, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper in a shallow dish.
- Dredge each piece of chicken thoroughly in the seasoned flour.
- Let the coated chicken rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat 2 inches of oil in a large cast iron skillet to 325°F.
- Fry the chicken in batches for 12 to 15 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Drain on a wire rack.
Prepare the Waffles
- Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and bacon drippings.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Preheat a waffle iron and brush with butter.
- Arrange a few slices of country ham in the waffle iron and cook for about 1 minute.
- Pour in enough batter to cover the ham and sprinkle with torn sage leaves.
- Close the waffle iron and cook until golden brown.
Serve
- Place a waffle on each plate.
- Top with fried chicken.
- Drizzle with sorghum syrup and serve with hot sauce.
