Photo by Charles Casela

Hello, I am The Kitchen Whisperer from Parties That Cook, and I have a problem. Last summer, I was quite addicted to Fried Chicken… with waffles. Before you make a face at the thought of that flavor combination, you should know a few things. Some say chicken and waffles have been paired together in meals for hundreds of years! One of the nation’s most popular sources of chicken and waffles, Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles, has been around since the mid-1970s. Roscoe’s, the original spark of my addiction, has been a key player in the spread of the chicken and waffles scene from Harlem to L.A.

I thought I had controlled my addiction until Parties That Cook had its Fall Recipe Testing. Among the mouthwatering lineup of dishes tested was this recipe for Corn Flake and Buttermilk Coated Fried Chicken Skewers! The flavor of the crunchy coating and the moisture of the chicken, alone, were enough to put the fire back in my desire for comfort foods. All I can say is that, with this recipe, you can make your own delectable fried chicken dish- with or without waffles!

Crispy Corn Flake and Buttermilk Coated Fried Chicken Skewers
This recipe, and other fun recipes like it, can also be found in our Appetizer Recipe Library!

Ingredients

Brine:
4 cups water
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 clove garlic, smashed
3 sprigs of thyme
3 stems of parsley
2 bay leaves
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, cracked
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes
6 cups canola oil for frying

Photo by Charles Casela

Chicken Coating:
2 cups buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
6 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon cayenne
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups cornflakes, crushed
24- three-inch skewers
Fine sea salt for garnish
Thyme sprigs and lemon slices for garnish

Methods/Steps

Brine Chicken: In a large bowl, mix water, salt, sugar, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay, lemons and peppercorns together.  Immerse the cut chicken in the brine for 1/2 hour.  Careful not to over brine! Remove the chicken from the brine and rinse under cold water to remove any herbs or garlic from the skin. Pat dry.  For best results let chicken air dry on a sheet pan for at least 5 minutes. While chicken is drying prepare to fry.

Prepare to Fry: Place canola oil into a high rimmed frying pan. Using a frying thermometer, heat oil to 350Fº. Place a cooling rack over a sheet pan to put the finished fried chicken onto.

Make Chicken Coating: Place buttermilk into a medium bowl and whisk in salt and pepper. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk flour, garlic and onion powders, paprika, cayenne, salt and pepper. Scoop out 1 ½ cups of the coating into another large bowl and mix in the crushed cornflakes. You should have 3 bowls: a buttermilk bowl, a spiced flour bowl, and a spiced flour + cornflake bowl.

Coat Chicken: Helpful hint: Set up an assembly line for coating the chicken! Start with the pan of dry chicken, the bowl of coating without the cornflakes, the bowl of  buttermilk, and then the bowl of cornflake coating. Place a parchment lined sheet pan at the end of the assembly line on which to place the coated chicken. Just before you are ready to fry, dip the chicken into the coating without the cornflakes, shake off excess; then dip into the buttermilk, let excess drip off; then dredge with the cornflake coating. Place the chicken onto the parchment-lined sheet pan.

Fry Chicken: Once the oil is 350Fº, using a skimmer, immerse 6-8 pieces of chicken in the hot oil and fry until a deep golden brown, about 4 minutes.  Transfer to cooling rack over a sheet pan. Sprinkle fried chicken with sea salt. Repeat with remaining chicken. Let rest a couple minutes before eating or it will be too hot.

Serve: Pierce each piece with a skewer, place on platter. Garnish with thyme sprigs and lemon slices, then serve!