Chicken and Waffles: The Next Big Brunch Thing?
Mention chicken and waffles and the conversation inevitably turns to Roscoe's, a storied, down-home chain in California. But this offbeat combo has gone upscale at a couple of restaurants in Seattle.
It takes center stage on the new brunch menu at Taste, the stylish dining room at the Seattle Art Museum. The bird - a leg and a thigh - is marinated in buttermilk and dredged in seasoned flour, then fried golden. The savory crunch of the chicken contrasts with the substantial waffle featuring heirloom grains from Bluebird Grain Farms. The waffle can be dunked or drizzled in warm syrup, depending on personal preference. (I'm a dunker.) A nicely bitter side of mustard greens is served on the side, cream gravy underneath.
I'm a regular fried chicken snob, the culmination of several years living in the South, so I bring pretty high expectations to the table. And this version was flat-out fantastic.
Of course, eating it got me thinking about the origin of this dish. So, I turned to Fried Chicken by one of my favorite food writers, John T. Edge.
In this missive - part of a series on iconic American foods - John T. digs deep to find mentions of this poultry pairing going back to 1939 in a book called The United States Regional Cookbook. Among other juicy tidbits, he discovered chicken and waffles served at a long-gone restaurant in Harlem called Wells Supper Club. And I'd sure like to hear the 1935 recording called "Chicken and Waffles" by Bunny Berigan.
In the end, though, John T. concludes the very beginnings of the dish remains a mystery. What's no mystery is how quickly skeptics turn into chicken and waffle converts after a few bites, all carefully arranged on the fork. Seasoned fans know the best arrangement involves equal parts chicken and waffle, a bit of syrup, a bit of gravy. Those mustard greens were like a nicely bitter palate cleanser.
-- Leslie Kelly
bluetooth freisprecheinrichtung on September 14, 2009 at 05:53 AM
Sounds tasty? I haven't had waffles and fried chicken together, yet. So, which waffles are better?