“Fried Chicken & Champagne….why the hell not?!”

This is the slogan you will find if you walk in to Max’s Wine Dive in Dallas, Texas. When I read that for the first time I knew I had found my people! They even have their famous fried chicken in a gluten free option!

Naturally I had to take this chicken and champagne thing to the next level by bringing in another favorite combo of mine: Chicken & Waffles. In the words of Dave Chapelle (in You’ve Got Mail), “I’m just taking it to the next level….I always do that! I always take a relationship to the next level. If that works out, I take it to the next level after that, until I finally reach that level when it becomes absolutely necessary for me to leave.” This is me with food and recipes. I aways take it to the next level and the next and the next and the next…until it becomes absolutely necessary that it just HAS TO STOP, haha! I mean seriously….have you guys seen My Paleo Patisserie?!

Anyways….back to the recipe. After 17+ years of “Moming”; tackling everything from dirty diapers to broken hearts, healing skinned knees and diving deep into heart conversations – holding your babies tight one day and setting them free to soar the next (at least it feels that way)….with all of those ups and downs, those extreme ends of the spectrum that life offers you….when it comes to Mother’s day, I’m pretty sure I’ve earned the right to have whatever I want.

So on that note, I’m thrilled to share this “next level” recipe with y’all. Let’s just call it “Jenni’s Fried Chicken & Waffles AND Champagne.”  And of course I had to up the level one more time and serve it “Bloody Marry”style. But hey, at least I didn’t add a whole chicken or a burger or a pizza to it! (Seriously, Google “Crazy Bloody Mary’s sometime)

I kow this may be a smidge outside of your normal brunching fare….but hey….if you’re a mom like me, then you don’t play by other peoples rules anyway. So now’s the time to ask yourself, “do I like fried chicken, and waffles, and champagne?” “Can I eat all three of those things at the same time?”

Well I think you know my answer…..“Why the hell not?”

I loved serving these “Bloody Mary” style for a fun twist… with ‘all the things’ skewered into it. You could add anything you like from cherry tomatoes to bacon to fried jalapeno peppers! It’s your thing, get creative. These are also delicious served with a side of gravy or dairy free ranch dressing.

Grain Free “Buttermilk” Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

About 1 pound of chicken tenderloins*
1 cup coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 cup Otto’s Cassava Flour (get it HERE)
2 tablespoons Dried Italian herb mix
1/2 teaspoon of salt, or to taste
1 large egg, lightly beaten
* THIS is a chicken tenderloin. Optionally you can use regular chicken breast and pound them out between two sheets of plastic wrap, until even all over, then slice into 1 ½ inches wide strips and in half again at the diagonal as instructed..

Method:

1.Using a sharp knife or kitchen shears, trim off any thin parts or loose pieces of chicken and fat. Now cut the tenderloin in half (I like to make it a diagonal cut). This gives you two smaller pieces, but keeps the ends long and not blunt.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and vinegar, then submerge the chicken pieces in the milk. Be sure they are completely submerged. Cover and set in the fridge for at least four hours or overnight. This makes for super tender fried chicken. When ready to use,  remove the from the fridge and transfer the chicken pieces to a large plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Do not discard the milk yet. Set the chicken aside while you prepare the coating.

3. In a medium, shallow bowl or container, whisk together the Ottos cassava flour, herbs and salt. Add two tablespoons of the milk marinade to the flour mixture, then toss till the mixture is slightly coarse looking.

4. Lightly beat the egg in a medium sized bowl then dip each chicken strip in egg. Shake off the excess and place the chicken piece in the cassava flour mixture. Spoon some coating on top of it, pressing it in evenly on both sides. Transfer to a clean baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken strips. At this point you can fry them immediately or cover the chicken and cill for a few hours. Some people feel this helps the coating stick even more. But I’ve never needed this step.

5. To Fry: Heat about  ½ inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet till it reaches about 375°F (I like duck fat or Spectrum Organic Palm Shortening for frying). Fry 4-5 pieces at a time, or whatever will fit in your pan, as long as there is a little space in between each piece. Fry for 3-4  minutes on each side or until golden and crispy all over, or until the internal temp reaches 165°F.

Grain Free Olive Oil & Black Pepper Waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup almond flour (get it HERE)
¾ cup arrowroot flour (or tapioca) (Get it HERE)
1 ½ teaspoons baking baking powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
⅓ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons coconut milk or water

Method:

1. Preheat your waffle iron

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot flour, baking, pepper and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the egg oil and coconut milk. 

4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until well combined.

5. Making the mini waffles: Basically cooke according to your waffle makers instructions. HOWEVER, here’s where things can get tricky. Since waffle makers come in all shapes, sizes and depths, you will have to do a little tester to see how much batter you need for your waffle minis. This will also vary depending on the size of waffle you want, specifically if you intend to skewer them over your champagne glass.

For the min’s (as seen in the above pictures), I used my old school square waffle iron, the kind that makes 2 thin square waffles. So I just put about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter at the center of each square. I also tried it with my round belgian waffle maker (which segments them into 4 thick (‘triangles’). This size of triangle skewered nicely as well! So play with it and see what you come up with. Then just fill your glasses with champagne and skewer up “all the things”!

You can also just make regular sized waffles with regular sized chicken and an abnormally large glass of champagne in the side! Add some orange juice and you’ve got Chicken & Waffles AND mimosa. See, there I go again… Taking it to the next level!

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