Bless Her Heart

Chicken and waffles are supposedly a Southern thing..but honestly I hadn’t tried chicken and waffles until about three years ago…long after I’d tried Shrimp and Grits.

But any recipe named “Mississippi _____” or “Chicken and ____” is bound to become a favorite food for anyone born in the Hospitality State.

And everyone knows that breakfast foods make the best dinner…especially on those nights when you have no idea what to make for dinner and have nothing in your pantry or fridge that even looks the slightest bit appetizing.

Origins of Chicken and Waffles

I thought it was interesting how people always think of Chicken and Waffles as a Southern dish, but Chicken and Waffles actually originated in Harlem during the 1930’s.

During the 1930s, jazz clubs and speakeasies were quite common in Harlem.

People came in droves to spent time at clubs such as The Cotton Club, The Apollo Theater, Savoy and The Harlem Club…and to see such performers as Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday.

Once these jazz clubs closed in the early morning hours, hungry nightclub patrons and entertainers would visit local restaurants such as Well’s Supper Club.

Although Well’s Supper Club offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner…it was too late for dinner and too early for breakfast.

So having no idea what to order, many diners would order both dinner and breakfast in one sitting. 

Joe Well, proprietor of Well’s Supper Club, came up with the idea of adding Chicken and Waffles to his menu. This dish consisted of leftover chicken from the night before along with a side of waffles.

He saw this as opportunity to not only boost sales, but also to reduce food waste by selling leftovers from the night before,

Chicken and Waffles soon became a huge hit, and other restaurants also started offering Chicken and Waffles.

Well’s Supper Club quickly became Harlem’s most popular spot for grabbing a bite to eat after an evening. This restaurant that started out with only three booths and five stools eventually grew to having a capacity for 250.

Wells Supper Club has become a landmark in Harlem. The Wells Supper Club served Harlem for 74 years, closing its doors in June 2012.

And that’s how chicken and waffles became a famous Southern(?!) comfort food.

Really(?!)…

The Waffles

• 2C flour
• 2Tbsp sugar
• 2tsp baking powder
• ¼tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 2C buttermilk
• 2tsp vanilla
• ½C butter, melted
• ¼C heavy cream

Mix together the dry ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and ground cinnamon until combined. 

Mix together the wet ingredients: In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract until combined. 

Mix all of the ingredients together: Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined.

Finish making the batter: Gently stir in the melted butter with a spatula until combined. Set the batter aside. Let rest while you preheat the waffle iron. 

Preheat the waffle iron: Spray the waffle iron with cooking spray.

Make the waffles: Pour the waffle batter into the center of the iron, leaving a 1“ space around the outside edges. The waffles will spread as they cook. Cook the waffles according to the waffle iron instructions.

Finish making all of the waffles: Carefully remove the waffles from the waffle iron. Place them on a wire rack to prevent them from sagging as they cool. Don’t stack waffles on top of each other. This will make them soggy.

It is much easier to prepare the waffles first and then reheat them or keep them warm.

To keep waffles warm: Make the waffles first. Then set them in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Place them in the oven at 200°F until ready to serve.

The Chicken

• 1# boneless chicken tenderloins
• 1C whole buttermilk
• 1tsp kosher salt
• 1tsp garlic powder
• ¾tsp onion powder
• ¾tsp pepper
• ¾tsp paprika
• 1C flour
• vegetable oil for frying

Brine the chicken for at least three hours: Place the chicken tenders in a large bowl or sealable bag. Stir together the buttermilk and the spices. Keep the chicken in the buttermilk brine anywhere from three to ten hours. The longer the chicken soaks, the more flavor.

Dredge the brined chicken: Set a wire rack on a baking sheet.

Whisk the eggs and cream together in a large bowl.

Shake the flour, cornstarch, 1Tbsp salt and with the same seasonings listed above in a gallon freezer bag.

Remove the chicken tenders from the buttermilk brine.

First dip the chicken into the beaten eggs. Shake off any excess liquid.

Next place the chicken in the bag with the flour. Shake the entire bag until the chicken is fully coated. You can probably only do a few pieces of chicken at a time.

Shake off any excess as you set each piece of dredged chicken on the rack. Do not stack the pieces of chicken.

Let the chicken rest for 20 minutes. This gives the coating a chance to adhere to the chicken even more.

Fry the chicken: Heat about 3” of oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. The temp should be about 350 degrees. 

Carefully place the coated chicken tenders in the oil. Avoid overcrowding. Cook about five minutes, until golden brown on all sides and completely cooked through. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach at least 165°F.

Place the fried chicken onto a wire rack to drain.

Continue cooking the chicken in batches, making sure that the oil is at 350°F in between each batch of frying chicken.

Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes.

Serve: Serve the waffles topped with butter, fried chicken pieces and syrup.

Place the warm waffles on plates. Top with the fried chicken. Served immediately with softened butter, warm maple syrup and perhaps some fresh fruit.

To store: Store the leftover chicken and waffles separately. Refrigerate the leftover chicken in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  Refrigerate the leftover waffles in an airtight container or bag for up to 4 days.  

To reheat leftover chicken in air fryer: Preheat air fryer at 350 degrees. Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Reheat for about 3 minutes. You could also microwave them for a minute or reheat them in the toaster.

To freeze: Freeze the leftovers separately in a freezer safe container for up to two months.