Sunday Paper Dinner Table: Fried Chicken and Waffles with Piri Piri Glaze

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Fried Chicken and Waffles with Piri Piri Glaze

A native New Yorker with strong ties to South Carolina, Melba Wilson likes to say she was “born, bred, and buttered”in Harlem. Her aunt is Sylvia of the famous Sylvia’s restaurant. Chicken and waffles originated in Harlem when jazz musicians wanted something delicious after playing all night. It’s a dish that perfectly reflects Melba and her Harlem roots. Note: This recipe may seem intimidating, but if you make the glaze first, then boil the sweet potato for the waffles while frying the chicken, you can keep the chicken warm in the oven while making the waffles.

Serves 4 TO 6

Ingredients:

PIRI PIRI GLAZE

• Piri Piri Marinade (see below)
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

PIRI MARINADE

• 2 small shallots, peeled
• 1-inch piece fresh
• ginger, peeled
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

FRIED CHICKEN

• 1½ cups buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon Frank’s RedHot sauce
• 8 small boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• Peanut oil, for frying

WAFFLES

• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cubed
• 1½ cups whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 1¼ cups half and half or vanilla coconut milk
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 3 large eggs, separated
• Nonstick cooking spray, for waffle iron
• 1 cup Pikliz (page 30)

Directions:

For the marinade: Combine the shallots, ginger, garlic, and chile in a food processor and pulse to a coarse puree. (Alternatively, pound into a coarse paste using a mortar and pestle.) Stir in the lemon juice, oil, and paprika and season with salt. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

For the glaze: Whisk together the marinade, honey, and olive oil in a small bowl and set aside.

For the fried chicken: Whisk together the but­termilk and hot sauce in a bowl large enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to the warm setting or 200ºF. Place a cooling rack inside a baking sheet, cover with paper towels, and set in the oven.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and season on all sides with 1 teaspoon of the salt.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, garlic powder, paprika, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish or bowl. Toss the chicken, one thigh at a time, in the mixture and set aside.

Heat ¼ inch oil in a large cast iron skillet set over medium-high heat and bring to 350ºF.

Carefully add the chicken, a few pieces at a time, so as to not overcrowd the pan. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Turn the chicken over and continue cook­ing until the other side is golden brown and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165ºF, about 5 min­utes. Transfer the chicken to the prepared rack in the oven and repeat until all of the chicken has been cooked.

For the waffles: Place the sweet potato in a medium saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are fork tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinna­mon, and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine.

Combine the sweet potatoes, half and half, butter, and egg yolks in another bowl and whisk to combine.

Place the egg whites in a third bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Do not overmix. Fold the egg whites into the batter until minimal streaks of white are showing.

Heat a waffle iron. Spray with nonstick spray. Once hot, pour one-fourth of the batter into the waffle iron. Close the lid and cook until golden brown and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer the cooked waffles to the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all the batter has been used.

Top each waffle with two chicken thighs, drizzle with the piri piri glaze, and serve with pikliz.

From The Rise: Black Cooks and the Soul of American Food: A Cookbook by Marcus Samuelsson. Copyright © 2020 Marcus Samuelsson. Reprinted with permission from Voracious an imprint of Little Brown, and Company.