Maybe my first post in a new year should maybe have been some sort of healthy, detoxifying dish to balance out the recent holiday season with all it’s chocolate, cookies and big family meals. But then I got a new waffle maker for Christmas. That combined with me and an American friend reminiscing about the American brunch dish of Chicken and Waffles made up my mind to go with something, very much the me got opposite of a healthy and detoxing start to the year (oops!).

Chicken and Waffles is a dish popular in the Southern States but it has also become somewhat trendy as a brunch option in NYC by now with places such as Pies and Thighs in W’burg converting people to it every day. It’s just so good with it’s unsweetened waffles alongside the crispy friend chicken and, in this case also, some spiced apples.

You have to start by marinating the chicken pieces overnight.
I’d suggest that, in the morning, you start with the stewed apples, which can then be left aside while you fry the chicken and bake the waffles.

For the chicken you’ll need:

• 8 pieces of chicken on the bone (drumsticks or thighs)
• 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk
• salt and pepper
• flour
• vegetable oil for frying

In a ziplock bag, mix the chicken and buttermilk. Season well with the salt and pepper and leave it, to marinate, in the fridge overnight.

The next morning fill a plate or bowl with flour in which you dip the pieces of buttermilk marinated chicken. Heat vegetable oil, ideally in a cast iron pot, until it bubbles when you drop a little bit of flour in it. Using tongs fry the pieces of floured chicken in the boiling oil until they are cooked through (this varies on the size of the chicken but usually takes at least 5 minutes).

For the stewed apples you’ll need:

• 25g butter
• 50g demera sugar
• 4-6 apples (depending on size), peeled, quartered and cored
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

The receipe for these is pretty much the same that I featured here with my pancake and cinnamon apples.  The the butter has to be melted with the sugar and spices, then the apples are added and soften over a low heat.

For the waffles you’ll need:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

In one bowl mix all the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
In another bowl, or a jug, mix the eggs with the buttermilk and melted butter/oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well.

Preheat and lightly grease your waffle iron and when it’s hot, pour big spoonfuls of the batter into the waffle iron and bake until the waffles are golden brown and lightly crisp.

Serve with maple syrup – and a good cuppa coffee!