Waffles: a Savory SouthWest Sourdough Version

Today, August 24, is National Waffle Day! Waffle on!

Not that I ever need a special reason to enjoy waffles, two waffle posts in a row might be a clue to that enthusiasm. Here is my latest waffle recipe, a Savory Southwest Sourdough Waffle. 

Some waffle factoids:

• This US holiday marks the day the first US patent for a waffle iron was issued. Instructions for waffles using irons exist from around the 14th century.
• General Electric offered the first electric waffle iron in 1911.
• Eggo frozen waffles were first sold in supermarkets in 1953.
• Belgian waffles made their US debut in 1964 at the New York World's Fair.  

We shared the first waffle hot off the iron. RL opted for butter and a drizzle of honey on his half, while I separated top from bottom and slathered my wedges with whipped honey butter. Mmmmmmm, bliss! 

Don't bother to make a half batch, you will want some to enjoy warm or cold another time. Warmed leftover waffles pair well with a bowl of your favorite chili or bean soup. Or enjoy them cold as sandwiches filled with cheese, salsa, avocado, corn salad, taco filling of any kind, etc. Leftover waffles freeze well and reheat easily in the oven or in a toaster (split in half if you make Belgian waffles). Homemade waffles have more flavor than Eggos and can be just as easy to reheat when you are in a hurry.

Waffles are more versatile than just a breakfast food. They make any meal, any day, a celebration. What's your favorite waffle?

Savory SouthWest Sourdough Waffles

Ingredients:

1 cup Sourdough Starter, recently fed and rested

1 Tablespoon sugar (helps to brown the crust)

1 egg

1/8 tsp salt

2 Tablespoons oil (canola oil or melted bacon grease)

optional seasonings: pinch of chile powder or splash of hot sauce    

1 cup total, mix of corn kernels, cooked black beans and diced sweet red peppers

scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1. Put the starter in mixing bowl; add sugar, egg and oil. Mix well with wood spoon. Thin with water as needed (starters vary in consistency).
2. Stir in the corn mix and optional seasonings (if you choose to use any).
3. Dilute the soda in a tablespoon of warm water. Add the baking soda at the last minute, when you’re ready for the batter to hit the iron. Fold the soda water gently into the sourdough batter. Do not beat it in heavily, you want to encourage the bubble formation, not defeat it. Bubbles will form as the batter lightens (increases in bulk).
4. Bake in a preheated, well-oiled (Belgian*) waffle iron until done. 
5. Serve on hot plates accompanied with flavored butter and/or warmed syrup.

*These will be tasty in any waffle iron, but Belgian waffles have extra deep holes to better hold any toppings.

Pulled Pork Waffle Sandwich

...wait, I thought you served enchiladas?! The history of this stacked waffle creation is a long, rambling story, and if you don't care about the details just scroll to the bottom for a quick version. I will understand if you want to skip to the how-to details. But if you are interested in how a chicken enchilada lunch turned into pulled pork waffle sandwiches, here's the tale.

It began when ex-Seattlites Char and Bill, two college friends who introduced us eons ago, planned a return trip to the city for some appointments. What a perfect opportunity to visit and catch up on life events over a lengthy lunch here at the house. After checking with Char about food allergies and preferences, I planned an easy-to-prep-ahead menu for our buffet lunch. 

Chicken, Green Chile and Cheese Enchiladas

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas 

SouthWest Corn Salad

Creamy Cabbage Slaw with Avocado

Pickled Vegetables

Butter Pecan Cookies and pecan caramel ice cream

.

.

.

and an unplanned serving of Baby Back Pork Ribs

A large rack of ribs, already trimmed and coated with my spicy homemade dry rub, already sat marinating in the fridge. I tossed the pork into the oven early in the day to prebake it low-and-slow, planning to reheat and sauce it for dinner that night or the next day. Lucky decision! That unplanned, spur-of-the-moment rib decision to bake the ribs saved the day. It seems there were just a few more food items to avoid - beans and nuts! Eek! without the pork ribs, "friendly" lunch choices could have been pretty limited. 

The hours flew by as we laughed, reminisced, nibbled away at lunch, talked some more and ate some more. The chicken enchiladas were a major hit, disappearing quickly, but the sweet potato enchiladas were strictly a "girly" choice. The guys preferred the ribs with barbecue sauce, no surprise there. Salads and vegetables were sampled, but no one scooped up a third helping. Eventually two servings of enchiladas and a ton of corn salad, cabbage slaw and various pickled vegetables plus half of the ribs remained to enjoy later in the week. Visualize one refrigerator shelf loaded with plastic containers of tasty leftovers. 

Reheated wedges of sweet potato and black bean enchilada starred as fabulous breakfast fare the next morning - okay, fabulous for at least one of us. Salsa and/or a poached egg boosted the visual appeal and popped the flavor; these might be a better brunch than lunch item. 

Reheated pork ribs, served on the bone, sounded boring the next day. Not terrible, just routine and boring. So I pulled the sauced meat off the bone, shredded it and mentally ran through some sandwich options. Pulled pork on a bun would be tasty, but then visions of Chicken and Waffles danced through my brain. Shazam! inspiration hit - pulled pork on a cheddar cheese, cornmeal-flavored waffle would be even better! and it was. lots better. minus the hot maple syrup, of course. This version made good use of yesterday's lunch leftovers, but I'd make bbq pork again and again just to revisit this waffle sandwich... a pulled pork wafflewich.

Pulled Pork Waffle Sandwich

Serves 3-4 (or more depending on serving size) 

For the waffles: 
I substitute 1/4 cup cornmeal for an equal amount of starter in a double batch of my standard sourdough waffle recipe (link). Sprinkle a small handful of shredded cheddar (or jack or Havarti) on top of the raw batter just before closing the lid on the loaded waffle iron. Cook until crisp; repeat with remaining batter. Place cooked waffles on a grate and hold in a warm oven (the grate keeps the bottoms from going soft and soggy).

For the filling: 
Pull the cooked, sauced meat off the bones of 6 meaty pork spareribs (link), discarding any large pockets of fat, and shred or pull apart the pork into bite-sized chunks. Slice a medium sweet onion into thin strips. Measure a cup or so of your favorite homemade or bottled barbecue sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray's).

For the sandwiches: 

• Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wide skillet and saute thin slices of onion until softened - add slices of sweet or spicy peppers if you like. Add the meat and a cup of  barbecue sauce to the skillet; stir to mix and heat until the meat is warm. 
• Split a Belgian waffle quarter or half piece to separate top and bottom (or use 2 thin regular waffles) and ladle the filling generously over the base. Sprinkle with more cheese (and consider adding slices of avocado, bacon or grilled poblano chile slices). Add the waffle topper and serve. Repeat.
• Note: One quarter of a fat Belgian waffle makes a filling lunch for dainty, ladylike appetites, but half-waffle portions are more the norm in my kitchen.   

Sourdough Ham and Cheese Waffles

...and a waffle iron bake-off.

What do you enjoy for a leisurely weekend breakfast? Waffles rank high on my list of favorites, and Belgium waffles are irresistible. My trusty, decades old, traditional-style waffle iron has been a worthy stalwart, cranking out hundreds of waffles without fail. The reversible plates no longer reverse, the heat setting knob was lost years ago and the DONE light never lights, but the waffles are still perfect. Perfect, except they aren't Belgium waffles... those other waffles with deep pockets... able to hold tasty puddles pools of butter and syrup. Mmmm, just the thought of a Belgium waffle's crisp exterior, its soft interior, the sourdough tang, can produce hunger pangs and tummy rumbles. 

Warning; the next few paragraphs are all about waffle irons. If you are looking for a recipe, scroll to the bottom.

Small, easy-to-store, Belgium waffle makers are readily available, in stores and online. I purchased two different models, one for the house and one for the boat. The Black & Decker purchased for home use was adequate. It was slow to preheat, produced unevenly browned exteriors and had sticking issues. Then it broke. One hinge cracked, the whole thing came apart, and I tossed it out with little regret. 

An 8"x11" Proctor-Silex acquired for the boat has been a reliable unit, with only a few quirky twists. Waffle tops and bottoms brown unevenly, requiring a quick flip and extra 30 seconds of cooking to brown both sides. There is no heat setting adjustment and the ready-light activates too early, so I need to monitor the steam to gauge progress. One cup of batter fills the 4 section, round waffle, and the 7.5-inch waffle fills a plate.

We moved back aboard in a rush this spring, stowing gear quickly to get it out of the way and randomly cleaning and organizing cupboards and cabinets as time allowed. Not the best plan. I mistakenly thought the boat still needed a waffle iron and purchased a small Salton iron. It looked promising and would fit in the cabinet, back in a corner... wait a minute! It fit perfectly - right next to the Proctor-Silex. 

The 9"x9" Salton produces two square 4-inch waffles, each requiring 1/3 cup batter. Like the Proctor-Silex it has no heat setting adjustment and the ready-light activates too early. A waffle bottom will brown and crisp while the top is still quite underdone.The unit produces slightly thinner waffles with shallower holes for the butter and syrup.

Storing two waffle irons in a small galley was not preplanned, but the duo will be useful for breakfast gatherings with friends. There will be less wait time for everyone, and the cook will get to dine much earlier. For the two of us, I'll just continue to use the Proctor-Silex, nibbling on one section while I serve the Capt. the other three. We DO prefer those deeper holes; better nooks and crannies to hold the butter, syrup, jam, etc.

Back to the waffles...

This recipe makes more waffles than we can eat at one meal, and that's a bonus. They hold well for days in a ziploc bag, stored in the fridge, ready to pop into the toaster for a quick reheat. Who can resist a sourdough waffle for breakfast or as a late-night snack? Thin-sliced deli ham and a mild white cheddar add subtle flavor to these already tasty sourdough waffles. Add larger cubes from a chunk of ham and a more assertive cheese for a stronger flavor pop. Toss in some spices, or not. Either way, give Sourdough Ham and Cheese Waffles a try and play around with your favorite toppings. Betcha' can't eat just one.

Ham and Cheese Sourdough Waffles

Ingredients:

2 cups Sourdough Starter (my batter is quite stiff)

1 Tablespoon sugar 

4 Tablespoons oil or melted butter     

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 cup ham chunks, slivered or small dice

1/2 cup aged white cheddar cheese, grated

scant 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in warm water

Serve with pats of butter and warm maple syrup, 

OR grainy mustard and warmed mango chutney

Directions:

1.Put the starter in mixing bowl; add sugar, egg and oil or butter. Mix well with wood or plastic spoon. (Some old-timers say sourdough doesn't like metal bowls and utensils) Thin with water as needed for consistency. Add the ham chunks and grated cheese and stir to combine thoroughly. 

2.Dilute the soda in warm water. Add the baking soda at the last minute, when you’re almost ready for the batter to hit the iron. Fold the soda water gently into the sourdough batter. Do not beat it in heavily, you want to encourage the bubble formation, not defeat it. The batter will fill with bubbles and increase in bulk. It's ready when it is fluffier.

3.Ladle batter onto a preheated, well-oiled Belgian waffle iron; cover quickly and bake until done. For me that means crispy brown on the outside and soft in the middle.

4.Serve on a  hot plate; accompany with butter and warmed syrup or for a more savory taste offer grainy mustard and warm mango chutney. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Notes:

• To cook ahead and hold briefly, transfer each freshly make waffle to a wire baking rack and hold in the oven at the lowest temperature possible. This will keep them crisp, resting them directly on a plate will cause the bottom to steam and soften.
• A Belgian style waffle iron isn’t essential. You can use another style, but we prefer the deeper holes that hold extra butter and syrup.

Chicken and Waffles... really!

You read that right, it is chicken and waffles... on the same plate... and served with hot maple syrup. Three items I love separately, but never eat in combination. On a recent SoCal trip I drove past the Pasadena location of Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles at  least a dozen times, noting the colorful sign but never stopping. I can't count the times I've driven that same route for decades and never even considered stopping. Well that funky neon sign finally stamped some subliminal chicken and waffle thought into my brain, because I found myself trying an adapted version in my home kitchen. After years of turning my back on this Southern California classic, I finally gave in. What can I say? 

Shock!, a standard sourdough waffle topped with a piece of chicken (spatchcocked and roasted, not breaded-and-fried like Roscoe's) and served with hot maple syrup worked as a satisfying, late-night entree. Each bite was a perfect mix of tender, flavorful chicken contrasting with the crispy, crunch of the waffle shell; every forkful enhanced with a drizzle of warm maple syrup. Sweet and savory bliss in one bite. I might not dine on chicken and waffles ever again, but now I understand the appeal. This dish must be one of the reasons that Roscoe's has been popular for decades. 

Sweet chicken anything isn't often an appealing choice, I prefer my chicken with a savory, tangy sauce. I remember carrying on about that in another post years ago, but chicken and waffles did prove to be weirdly tasty. I wonder if any restaurants in the Pacific NorthWest offers an irresistible chicken and waffle dish on their menu. I really should try the original at Roscoe's on my next Pasadena trip. Or not. Maybe some time after I score a great fish taco or an In'n'Out burger. 

Meanwhile here at home, my favorite waffle-combo dish remains Dynamite Chili with Chili Cheese Waffles, wonderful and weirdly tasty in its own way. 

Basic Sourdough Waffles

Yield: 

3 large 4-section waffles in my old, traditional waffle iron

4-6 smaller round waffles in the Belgian waffle iron

1 cup sourdough starter, fed and proofed 
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in a tablespoon or two of warm water

Directions:

1.  Put the starter in mixing bowl; add egg, sugar, salt, and oil. and almond extract. Mix well with wood or plastic spoon. Thin with water as needed to get consistency of loose pancake batter.

2.  Dilute the soda in a tablespoon of warm water. Add the baking soda at the last minute, when you’re almost ready for the batter to hit the iron. Fold the soda water gently into the sourdough batter. Do not beat it in heavily, you want to encourage the bubble formation, not defeat it. The batter will fill with bubbles and increase in bulk. It's ready when it is fluffier.

3.  Ladle batter onto a preheated, well-oiled (Belgian) waffle iron; cover quickly and bake until done. For me that means crispy brown on the outside and soft in the middle.

Note: a Belgian style waffle iron isn’t essential, you can use another style, but we love the deep holes that hold extra butter and syrup.

Dynamite Chili with Chili Cheese Cornbread Waffles

Dragon's Breath Chili is the actual title, but this chili deserves a string of superlatives like dynamite, awesome, over-the-top-delicious, swoon-worthy... OK, now I'm getting carried away.

This all began with a great chili recipe I found online at the FoodNetwork site. Not every In the Galley post features an original recipe let alone an original idea, and that's the case today. I was content to follow the lead of talented cooks, and work with the ingredients in my pantry. Chili and Spicy Cornbread Waffles sounded like an inspired combination, two stand-alone taste treats that could pair up to deliver more than double the punch as a combo. This duo added a welcome and tasty heat to a chilly December evening.


There's no shortage of chili recipes around here, not likely with dozens of delicious chili variations filed away on my computer. Would you prefer beef, pork, chicken or lamb chili? Red chili or green chili? Chili with black, red, pink or white beans? Chili with no beans at all? Perhaps chili-sauced beans with no meat? We keep taste testing new versions, one batch after another, searching for the ultimate, best-ever, blow-me-away chili recipe. We may have found it this time. I know I've said this before, so I'd better reserve final opinion. 


Four of us made a serious dent in a huge batch of Guy Fieri's Dragon's Breath Chili and everyone gave it two thumbs up on taste. I've noted my tweaks, but recommend the original recipe as a keeper, even though it calls for over 25 ingredients!


The waffles were a fun accompaniment, a change up from the usual tortilla chips. Surprisingly, the results ranged from a pale, wimpy, first-one-off-the-iron reject to a much browner, crispier final waffle after my new waffle iron had finally come to fully hot temperature. (Note to self: don't recommend this new Black and Decker Belgian waffle maker. With a puny 600 watts and lacking a temperature adjustment knob, it wasn't up to the challenge, taking forever to come up to temp and crisp up each waffle.) 


I added 1 diced poblano, a handful of grated pepper jack cheese, a handful of chopped pecans, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup cornmeal and 1/2 cup AP flour to my usual sourdough waffle blend (link -minus the almond extract of course). What was I thinking?!? While not a disaster, these waffles were too close to ordinary in taste. Next time I'll forget the sourdough approach and stick to a standard cheesy jalapeno cornbread recipe with the added punch of cayenne or chipotle. The chili's zippy yet mellow taste made up for any missing hint of corn in the waffles. 


Check into these mouthwatering recipes:
Everyday Southwest: Chili Topped Cornbread Waffles
thekitchn: Cheddar and Green Chile Waffles
King Arthur Flour: Crunchy Cornmeal Waffles with Chili Con Queso
La Kocinera: Vegetarian Three-Bean Chili with Cheddar-Cornmeal Waffles 

...and how about the Hardrock Cafe's Jalapeno Cornbread Waffle with Sauteed Garlic Prawns in Poblano Chili Cream? Oh my, there's a temptation for another day.

Dragon's Breath Chili

An online FoodNetwork recipe by Guy Fieri, the Diners, Drive Ins and Dives dude (my changes noted in red)

Serves 10 or more

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons bacon grease, or canola oil (4 slices thick bacon, diced)
2 red bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)
2 jalapenos, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
3 Anaheim chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped (1/4 cup dried ancho & chipotle chile slurry)
3 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled, chopped (I only had 2)
2 yellow onions, diced (about 2 cups)
1 head garlic, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 pound boneless chuck, trimmed, in 1/4-inch cubes (used 2 LBS)
2 pounds ground beef, coarse grind (.5 LB beef, 1 LB turkey, .5 LB Basque chorizo with casings removed and coarsely crumbled)
1 pound bulk Italian sausage (without fennel)
2 teaspoons granulated onion
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons hot paprika (substituted Spanish pimenton - smokey paprika)

 2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (omitted)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup tomato paste
12 ounces lager beer (used Alaskan Amber)
1 cup chicken stock
2 (15.5-ounce) cans pinto beans, with juice (needed more) 

2 (15.5-ounce cans dark kidney beans, with juice (needed more)
Cornstarch or masa harina to thicken, as needed (optional)

Suggested toppings: chopped green onions, shredded cheddar, sour cream

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot cook the bacon till nearly crisp; remove from the pot and set aside.  
2. Add butter to the bacon grease and melt over high heat. 
3. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, chiles and onion and cook until caramelized, about 5 minutes. (This took much longer, and never reached brown caramelization.) 
4. Add garlic and saute a minute longer. Remove the vegetables from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. 
5. Add chuck to the pan in batches and lightly brown. Set aside to add back in after all meat is browned.
6. Add ground beef, turkey and sausages to brown and stir gently, trying not to break up the ground meat too much. Cook until meat is nicely browned and cooked through, about 7 to10 minutes. 
7. Return the browned chuck and vegetables to the pot. Add in granulated onions, granulated garlic, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute. 
8. Add in tomato sauce and paste and stir for 2 minutes. 
9. Stir in beer and chicken stock. Add beans, lower heat and simmer for 2-3 hours, until meat is tender. 
10. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed.
11. Use a cornstarch or masa slurry to thicken the chili, as needed, according to your preference.
12. Serve with Chili Cheese Cornbread Waffles in bowls and garnish with Saltine crackers, green onions and shredded Cheddar. (Offer some sour cream on the side for anyone who needs to tame the spicy heat.)