"Brother, you know I've got soul power!"

Upon my first arrival to Los Angeles, I was made aware of the most glorious combination of foods known to man. What could it be, you ask? Steak and potatoes? Salmon and eggs? No. As harmonious as those two creations may be on the palette, nothing comes quite as close as the glorious soul food combination of Fried Chicken and Waffles. But it wasn't until this year that I experienced first-hand how amazing that combination is when I went to Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles on Pico with a friend before winter break, and the experience was repeated when I took my small group there. The restaurant's food itself is okay, but I can only imagine what the original chicken and waffle diners in Harlem, from where Roscoe's took the idea, are like. Futher inspired by an episode by Bobby Flay's Throwdown where he challenges a Harlem cook to chicken and waffles, I took my own fried chicken and waffle recipes and set to work. The dish was ultimately tested by my small group, who agreed that I had trumped even the chain that first inspired me.

Danny's Pan-Fried Chicken and Blueberry Waffles

For the chicken:
Marinate some broiler/fryer chicken pieces in a buttermilk bath at night. Feel free to add hot sauce and dijon mustard to the marinade. Drain in a colander before cooking. Liberally apply seasoning. Poultry shake recipe is below. After seasoning, dredge in flour, shake off any excess flour. Let it rest for a few minutes to allow the flour to set onto the chicken.

Melt shortening in a cast iron skillet until it reaches about 3/4" up the pan. Once fully melted, bring the temperature up to 350º F (shortening begins to smoke at around 360º) Begin frying chicken. The oil should only reach halfway up the piece of meat. Flip after about 8 minutes or until golden brown on the side touching the pan, and then cook for another 10 minutes (the oil will have cooled down a little upon introducing the other side of chicken.) Place upon a cooling rack once finished. Internal temperature of the chicken should be about 175-180. Trust your probe thermometer. They're your best friends against salmonella.

For the waffles:
3 large eggs
2 Tbls of melted unsalted butter
1 cup of buttermilk
2 tsp. of vanilla extract
2 cups of all-purpose flour
1 Tbls. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of salt
3 Tbls of sugar
1 cup of fresh blueberries

Mix the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together. Putting them all into a tupperware and just giving it a few good shakes does the trick. In the mixing bowl, mix to combine the eggs, butter, and buttermilk until it reaches an even consistency. Then add the dry ingredients. After a batter has formed, add in the blueberries and mix a little further. For those wanting a fluffier waffle, separate the yolks and the whites first, and just add the yolks and mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the whites until they foam. Mix the wet and dry ingredients as before, then gently fold the egg white foam into the batter. Do not overmix. Pour batter into a pre-heated and oiled waffle maker, and cook as specified by your waffle maker's instructions. I like mine crispy.

For the strawberry butter
Take a whole stick of unsalted butter at room temperature and three strawberries and blend them in a food processor until it reaches a fluffy consistency.

For the honey-maple syrup
Go to Ralph's.

Enjoy! Hopefully you get the chance to enjoy this before you subsequently die of heart disease and diabetes.