When I was young, we ate pancakes or waffles for breakfast almost every Saturday morning, and my dad was the self-appointed commander of the waffle iron. Dad’s waffles were crispy, light, and puffy, perfect with a drizzle of honey or—his pick—molasses. My version of our old weekend favorite does my dad’s waffles justice. They are wonderfully crispy with a slightly tangy bite imparted by the buttermilk. Serve warm with butter and honey or sweetened cream and fresh fruit.

　　

Ingredients

makes 6 waffles / serves 4 to 6

　　1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/2 cup yellow cornmeal

　　2 tablespoons sugar

　　1 tablespoon baking powder

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　Pinch of kosher salt

　　1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

　　3 large eggs

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Preheat a waffle iron and spray lightly with vegetable oil.

　　

Step 2

Combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and stir to mix. Whisk the buttermilk, butter, and eggs in a separate bowl. Add the buttermilk-egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir just to combine; do not overmix.

　　

Step 3

Pour about 3/4 cup of the batter into the bottom of the waffle iron, close the lid, and cook for about 4 minutes, until the waffle is golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining waffles.

　　

Chew on this: Waffles and Fried Chicken

Step 4

There is a long and noble Southern tradition of serving buttermilk waffles with—you guessed it—fried chicken. This seemingly strange combination has made appearances in Southern cookbooks (and among the Pennsylvania Dutch) since the nineteenth century. Try it for yourself and see how delicious it is. Just top each waffle with several pulled pieces of Granny Foster’s Sunday Fried Chicken (page 127), drizzle with maple syrup, molasses, or Fried Chicken Gravy (page 128), and serve warm.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.