Sam and I woke up Sunday morning feel groggy after a full weekend of socializing and a few too many beers. I rolled around in his arms, cuddling in until our stomach grumblings got the better of us, and I peeled myself out of the cocoon of comfort.

Looking into the fridge and realizing we were down to two eggs is almost heart-wrenching in moments like those. But then I saw the drumsticks.

crispy-chicken-16022c6 Now, I know the classic is meant to be waffles, but I was lacking the necessary waffle making apparatus, and I’m a fan of working with what you got. Also, don’t knock it till you try it!

  • 4-8 bone-in chicken legs (Wings are always an option too. And if you’re feeling a mix of the 2? Go for it! All the merrier!)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire (optional)
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon of paprika
  • 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
  • salt + pepper
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • pancake mix (if you happen to have some lying around, otherwise:)
    -1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    -1 1/4 cup milk
    -pinch of salt
    -3 tablespoons melted butter
    -1 egg
    -3 tablespoons baking powder
    -1 tablespoon white granulated sugar (optional)
  • maple syrup

I used a zip-lock bag to marinate my chicken in the buttermilk and Worcestershire. Giving a gentle toss around to thoroughly cover my chicken. While that sat in the fridge, I got my non-stick pan onto the stove to warm over medium heat and a bit of butter melting away and prepped my pancakes. (I had a box of Aunt Jemima’s mix in the cupboard – super convenient). Once the butter had melted I poured thin layers of pancake mix into my pan. I prefer a thinner, almost crepe like pancake when I’m pairing them with savoury foods. As my pancakes cooked, I took my chicken out and added salt, pepper, flour, paprika and garlic powder to the bag and gave it a good shake to get my chicken evenly coated. Don’t forget to flip those pancakes and remove from the non-stick pan once done. In my cast-iron skillet I poured my oil and allowed to warm over medium heat. A trick I’ve picked up for checking the readiness of the oil is by dropping a tiny bit of flour into the oil and seeing if it begins to fry and sizzle – as it should if it’s good to go. Gently add in chicken once oil is ready. Keeping a lid over the skillet allows the chicken to steam as it fries ensuring that is cooked all the way through. Turn over the chicken once the bottom side has browned and crisp and brown the remaining side, removing the lid. Once chicken is that pretty, crispy brown, remove and let drain on a wire rack or bed of paper towels. Now that it’s all ready, you can plate up and serve with butter and maple syrup and enjoy!