FOR THE WAFFLE NUGGETS:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into small chunks
Vegetable oil, for frying, plus ½ cup for the batter
2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ⅓ cups milk
⅓ – ½ cup maple syrup
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE DIP:
1 part honey
1 part maple syrup
1 part honey mustard
INSTRUCTIONS
Divide the egg yolks and whites in separate bowls. Beat the yolks and set aside. Whip the egg whites until they’re stiff and set aside.
In a large, high-walled skillet, heat about one inch high of oil over medium-high heat.
As the oil is heating up, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. In a seperate bowl, combine the ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 ⅓ cups milk, the beaten egg yolks, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ⅓ – ½ cup maple syrup, depending on how maple-y you want your nuggets to taste.
Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until combined.
Fold in the stiffened egg whites. Do not over-mix, you don’t want the egg whites to entirely deflate. It’s okay if the batter is slightly lumpy.
Test to see if the oil is hot enough by dipping the end of a wooden spoon into the pan. If the oil bubbles around it after a second or two, you’re ready to go!
Dust the chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons of flour and then dip the chicken into the batter. Let excess drip off and quickly place in the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until golden brown and cooked through, flipping once, about 4 minutes. If you notice that the outside of your chicken is browning far too quickly, reduce the heat to medium.
Let the chicken nuggets drain off extra oil by setting them on a paper towel as you fry up the remaining batches.
Once all of the chicken has been cooked, mix together honey mustard, honey, and maple syrup for dipping.
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 12 mins
