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Double-Dipped Fried Chicken and Waffles with Peach Butter

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Makes 4 to 6 servings 1x

Time At least 24 hours, largely unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken (3 to 4 pounds), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 8 pieces, or any combination of parts
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 3/4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 5 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,
  • 8 softened and 4 melted
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne
  • 1 cup chopped very ripe peach, or thawed frozen
  • Good-quality vegetable oil, for frying
  • Hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Put the chicken in a large bowl or plastic bag and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups buttermilk and the rosemary, and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or up to 24.
  2. When you’re ready to eat, make the waffles: combine 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, the sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 3/4 cups buttermilk and the egg yolks. Mix in the melted butter and the vanilla if you’re using it. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry. Beat the egg whites with a whisk or electric mixer until they hold soft peaks. Fold them gently into the batter.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Put the remaining 3 cups flour, the paprika, and cayenne in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper; whisk to combine. Working in batches, take a few chicken pieces out of the buttermilk mixture, let the excess drip off, then coat in the flour mixture; put on the prepared baking sheet. Once all the chicken has been breaded once, work in batches to again dip the chicken in the buttermilk mixture, then coat in flour, and return the pieces to the baking sheet. Let sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Heat the oven to 200°F; heat your waffle iron. Put the stick of softened butter and chopped peach in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until incorporated and mostly, but not entirely, smooth.
  5. Put 2 to 3 inches of oil in a large pot over medium heat and bring to 350°F. Put a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet. When the oil is ready, add the chicken pieces, one at a time, working in batches so as not to crowd them. Cook, undisturbed, but adjusting the heat so the oil bubbles without smoking, until a crust begins to form, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn the pieces as they’re ready to cook on the other side. Continue to fry, turning a couple more times, until the chicken is golden all over and cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes more. (To check for doneness, cut into a piece close to the bone; the juices should run clear.) As the pieces finish, transfer them to the wire rack, sprinkle with salt, and keep them warm in the oven.
  6. Spread only enough batter onto the waffle iron to barely cover it; close the lid and bake until the waffle is cooked through and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes, depending on your iron. Transfer to the platter in the oven while you cook the remaining batter. Serve the waffles right away, topped with the warm chicken and pass the peach butter and hot sauce at the table.

 – Recipe from Dinner for Everyone