1kga mix of bone-in chicken thighs, breasts, and drumsticks
vegetbale oil for frying the chicken in
2cupsall purpose flour
1tbsppaprika
1tspcayenne
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2large eggs
The waffles
2cupsall-purpose flour
2tbspgranulated sugar
1tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
1cupsour cream
1cupmilk
6tbspbutterm melted (+ more for the waffle machine)
3large eggs, separated
Instructions
Brine the chicken - approx 2hrs to overnight
In a large bowl mix together buttermilk and 2 tablespoons salt.Add chicken and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
Waffle mix
You need to be organised with your chicken so that you don't cook your waffles too early. I suggest reading the prep for the frying of the chicjen first so you know your timings.To make your waffle mix:Preheat oven to 100°C.In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. In another bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, butter and egg yolks. Gently fold the wet mixture into the dry mixture, above to make the batter.Now, using a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Take the whipped egg whites and fold into the batter (nb: don't over mix or you'll lose the fluffiness)
Making the waffles
Heat waffle iron and brush with melted butter. Spoon about 1 cup of batter into waffle maker and cook until golden, approx. 5 minutes. Repeat. Place your cooked waffles on a baking sheet in the oven to keep warm while you do the chicken.
Cooking the chicken
Fill a large, deep saucepan (or if you have a deep-fryer) with vegetable oil, approx 5cm - 7cm.Heat until the oil reaches 180ºC (350ºF).Have a flat tray close-by lined with paper towels (or a tray with a wire rack) to palce the fried chicken on.
Take the chicken from the buttermilk brine and clean off with a paper towel, then season well wtih salt and pepper.
In a large, deep bowl, mix flour, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons water. Now, using tongs, dip the chicken in egg mixture, then cover in flour mixture, and shake off any excess. Fry chicken in batches until golden brown and cooked through, approx 6 to 8 mins (the internal temperature should read 74ºC (165ºF). Make sure you always bring the oil back to 180ºC (350ºF) before adding each batch.
Place chicken on the paper towels or wire rack and season with salt immediately. Plate waffles pieces of fried chicken and serve with maple syrup.