Test Kitchen: Korean Chicken and Waffles

Infuse your waffles with umami for a no-holds-barred brunch. In just one morning, we hopped from Louisiana to Korea, feasting on fried drumsticks tossed in a ginger-gochujang sauce served over sesame-bacon waffles with refreshingly chilled sides of pickled watermelon radish and spicy green onion salad.

Ingredients

For the waffles:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• A pinch of kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 inches freshly grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 tablespoon Red Stick Spice Brunch Blend

For the chicken:

• 1 in. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp. diced garlic
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 ½ tbsp. gochujang (Korean chili paste)
• 1 ½ tbsp. rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tsp. honey
• 6 chicken drumsticks
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 tbsp. corn starch
• 2/3 cup water
• Canola oil

Method

For the waffles:

Combine first five ingredients in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, beat together buttermilk and egg. Stir in ginger, sesame seeds, and spices. Fold egg mixture into dry ingredients, stirring gently to combine. Make waffles according to manufacturer instructions, then keep warm in the oven.

For the chicken:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together first seven ingredients. Let sit at room temperature for at least thirty minutes or cover and chill overnight.
2. Heat two inches of canola oil in a large pot over medium high until 350 F. Combine flour, corn starch, and water in a large bowl. Toss drumsticks in the batter to coat. Fry drumsticks for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden. Drain on paper towels.
3. Return oil to 350 F. Then fry chicken a second time, for 5 to 7 minutes, until skin is crispy. Drain again, then toss in chili sauce. Serve over waffles.

Suggested additions: Honey-sesame butter, spicy green onion salad, pickled watermelon radish.

For the honey-sesame butter: In a small bowl, mix together two tablespoons softened butter, one tablespoon honey, and a teaspoon of sesame oil until fully combined.

For the spicy green onion salad: Toss very thinly sliced green onions in a sesame-chili dressing. My Korean Kitchen has the recipe.

For the pickled watermelon radish: If you've got at least four hours to spare, watermelon radish is a cool, vibrant addition to the plate. Visit National Geographic's The Plate for a how-to.