Center Stage: Korean Chicken and Waffles Sandwich from Broad Appetite

Marcella Lee grew up watching cooking shows, and would often destroy her mom’s kitchen trying out the recipes she’d seen. Now, she channels her love of food into her cooking blog, Broad Appetite, which was the Reader’s Choice – Best New Blog winner in the 2014 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards. Marcella can be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

The Korean chicken and waffle sandwich is a savory mash-up of Asian and African American food cultures. These cuisines couldn’t be any more different, but this dish works seamlessly nonetheless. Maybe it’s because both Korean wings and chicken and waffles were born out of a need to soak up alcohol after a night of drinking. Or maybe it’s because all the tastiest dishes are inspired by flavors from around the world. Either way, this sandwich is delicious.

The waffle is buttery and crisp with little square wells that capture all the fried, saucy goodness that’s contained within this unconventional bun. After a quick dip in batter, the chicken gets two loving sessions in the deep fryer to guarantee an insane crunch. This ultra crisp coating holds up beautifully when doused in the spicy Korean sauce that makes this dish so special.

The usual garlic, ginger, and soy are present, but it’s the gochujang that makes the sauce uniquely Korean. Gochujang is a fermented paste that’s made with red peppers, glutinous rice, and soybeans and is ubiquitous in Korean cooking. It gives the dish that sought-after umami that is so irresistible. No self-respecting Korean dish would be complete without an egg on top, and this sandwich is no exception.

As cooks get more comfortable with Asian ingredients and cooking techniques, the quality of fusion dishes continues to improve. Long gone are the days of pale green wasabi mash potatoes and overcooked teriyaki salmon. This is an era of culinary creativity and innovation, and the word “fusion” has now redeemed itself. This sandwich celebrates the emancipation of fusion cuisine and is a tasty way to enjoy the best of two worlds.

Korean Chicken and Waffles Sandwich

Yield: Serves 2
Author: Hamilton Beach Test Kitchen

Ingredients

For the Waffles

2 eggs
1 ¾ cups whole milk
½ cup melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Fried Chicken Ingredients

Vegetable oil for frying
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 cloves garlic minced
1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean pepper paste)
3 tablespoons honey
1 ½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 eggs

Instructions

Preheat waffle iron. Beat 2 eggs, milk, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. In
a separate bowl, mix 2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt. Add the egg mixture to the flour and mix until a batter forms.
Spray waffle iron with cooking spray and pour ¼ of the batter into the iron. Cook until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 waffles.
Fill deep fryer with oil and preheat to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, mix together garlic, ginger, soy sauce, gochujang, honey, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds until smooth. Set aside.
Pound each chicken thigh until it is an even ¾ inch thick. Combine 2/3 cup flour with 2/3 cup water and cornstarch to create a slurry. Dip the chicken thighs into the slurry, shaking off any excess. Deep fry each piece for 6 minutes and set on paper towels to drain. Bring the oil back up to 350 degrees and re-fry each piece for an additional 6 minutes. Again, drain excess oil on paper towels.
While the chicken is draining, spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook 2 eggs over easy. Set aside.
Place fried chicken on a plate and pour the gochujang sauce all over the chicken, making sure that all surfaces are coated. Place 2 pieces of chicken on a waffle and top with an egg. Pour any excess sauce over the chicken and egg, then top with the second waffle.

Hamilton Beach® Deep Fryers are generously sized for greater versatility — some even accommodating a whole chicken. What’s more, you can fry crispy, mouth-watering foods without the mess you’ve come to expect. Food can be lowered into hot oil and lifted out while the lid is closed for splatter-free frying. Hamilton Beach® Deep Fryers also feature adjustable heat and convenient timers.

With an ultra flip design, this waffle maker expertly bakes golden brown, fluffy waffles and gives you total flipping control so you can create restaurant-quality results right at home. Make your waffle just the way you want it – lighter or darker – in just minutes. Designed for the thickest batter and most complex waffle, the Hamilton Beach® Flip Belgian Waffle Maker has Belgian-style grids with deep pockets to hold plenty of toppings. Even better, the nonstick grids are removable to go in the dishwasher for easy cleanup afterwards.