Chicken and Waffles

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 3 cups buttermilk, for brining
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, for dredging
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, for the dredge
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 quarts peanut oil, for frying
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, for the waffles
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk, for the waffles
• 2 large eggs
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, for the honey

Before you cook

• Whisk 3 cups buttermilk with the kosher salt and hot sauce in a large bowl, add the chicken thighs and turn to coat.
• Cover the bowl and brine the chicken in the refrigerator for at least four hours or overnight.
• Whisk the dredging flour, cornstarch, paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, kosher salt and black pepper together in a wide dish.
• Whisk the waffle flour, baking powder, baking soda and fine salt together in a bowl, then beat in the buttermilk, eggs and melted butter and set the batter aside.
• Warm the honey with the hot sauce in a small pan and keep it warm.
• Set a wire rack over a baking sheet next to the stove.

Steps

1. Pour the oil into a heavy Dutch oven to a depth of two inches and heat it to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Lift each thigh from the brine, let the excess drip off, and press it firmly into the seasoned flour on both sides.
3. Set the coated thighs on a plate and let them sit for 10 minutes so the crust hydrates.
4. Lower four thighs into the oil and adjust the heat to hold 300 to 325 degrees.
5. Fry for 14 to 16 minutes, turning once, until the crust is deep brown and the meat reads 175 degrees Fahrenheit at the bone.
6. Move the chicken to the wire rack and fry the second batch the same way.
7. Heat a waffle iron to medium-high and grease it.
8. Bake the waffles about 3/4 cup of batter at a time for four to five minutes each, until crisp.
9. Set a waffle on each plate and lean two thighs against it.
10. Pour the warm hot honey over the chicken and waffle and serve at once.