Chicken & Waffles from the Harlem Supper Club
Crispy fried chicken on a soft waffle, all drenched in maple syrup: the signature dish of the Harlem jazz night, where the saltiness of the chicken meets the sweetness of the waffle.
Crispy fried chicken on a soft waffle, all drenched in maple syrup: the signature dish of the Harlem jazz night, where the saltiness of the chicken meets the sweetness of the waffle.
When the last set is over and the band packs up its brass, you don't go to bed, honey — you head to Wells. Up in Harlem, they serve you hot fried chicken on a waffle, and you drown it all in syrup: half supper, half breakfast, just like our upside-down lives. We laughed loud, smoke up to the ceiling, and nobody knew if it was midnight or six in the morning. That's the taste of a night that doesn't want to end.
- •Chicken pieces — thighs and drumsticks (fry)
- •Buttermilk — enough to cover (tenderizing marinade)
- •Flour — enough for breading (crust)
- •Lard or frying fat — a good pan depth (cooking)
- •Flour, eggs, milk, yeast — for batter (waffles)
- •Butter — generous (waffles and serving)
- •Maple syrup — as needed (sweet drizzle)
Chicken & Waffles from the Harlem Supper Club
Crispy fried chicken on a soft waffle, all drenched in maple syrup: the signature dish of the Harlem jazz night, where the saltiness of the chicken meets the sweetness of the waffle.
Why this dish? After concerts in New York, jazz musicians gathered in Harlem supper clubs like the legendary Wells, open late, where fried chicken and waffles were served — a meal straddling dinner for those going out and breakfast for night owls. Anita O'Day, vocalist of the big bands, was fully part of this nocturnal world.
When the last set is over and the band packs up its brass, you don't go to bed, honey — you head to Wells. Up in Harlem, they serve you hot fried chicken on a waffle, and you drown it all in syrup: half supper, half breakfast, just like our upside-down lives. We laughed loud, smoke up to the ceiling, and nobody knew if it was midnight or six in the morning. That's the taste of a night that doesn't want to end.
Ingredients (period version)
- Chicken pieces — thighs and drumsticks (fry)
- Buttermilk — enough to cover (tenderizing marinade)
- Flour — enough for breading (crust)
- Lard or frying fat — a good pan depth (cooking)
- Flour, eggs, milk, yeast — for batter (waffles)
- Butter — generous (waffles and serving)
- Maple syrup — as needed (sweet drizzle)
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs/drumsticks — 8 pieces (fry)
- Buttermilk — 500 ml (marinade)
- Flour — 250 g (breading)
- Paprika + cayenne pepper — 1 tsp each (seasoning)
- Neutral oil — for frying (cooking)
- Waffle flour — 250 g (batter)
- Eggs + milk + baking powder — 2 + 350 ml + 1 packet (waffles)
- Melted butter — 60 g (waffle batter)
- Maple syrup — as needed (drizzle)
Method
- Marinate chicken in salted buttermilk at least 2 h (ideally overnight).
- Drain, roll in flour seasoned with paprika and cayenne, press to coat well.
- Fry at 170°C for 12-15 min until golden and cooked through; drain on a rack.
- Prepare waffle batter (flour, baking powder, eggs, milk, melted butter, pinch of salt) and cook in a waffle iron.
- Place a piece of chicken on each hot waffle, butter, drizzle generously with maple syrup. Serve immediately.
How it was made : The fried chicken and waffle pairing became popular in Harlem in the 1930s at the Wells Supper Club, frequented by musicians leaving clubs after midnight: too late for dinner, too early for breakfast, the waffle (breakfast) and chicken (dinner) on one plate solved the problem.
The contemporary twist : A dash of hot sauce on the chicken and a spoonful of honey whipped butter: the sweet-salty-spicy contrast that makes the plate swing.
Anita O'Day · Charactorium