- The Beer Loop
- Posts
- Beer Pairing: Chicken and Waffles
Good morning, and welcome to the 353 new subscribers who joined The Beer Loop in the last month. We’re delighted to have you in our fun community of beer lovers!
Tomorrow marks the final day to lock-in our inaugural 40% discount on the new premium membership subscription which gets you access to our new detailed tasting guide, along with our Tuesday Deep Dives like today’s, which we’re making available to all subscribers as a free preview.
We hope you enjoy this month’s beer pairing!
— Joseph Lavoie
The Dish
Photo by Miguel Dominguez on Unsplash
Brunch is a delightful meal, isn’t it? An excuse to indulge in a treat early in the day. There may be nothing as indulgent as this month’s dish and beer pairing. Fried chicken, waffles, and a refreshing beer at 11am? It’s the small things that make life enjoyable and this combo is all joy. Plus, it’s easy to make and will impress friends and family if you’re in a hosting mood.
Don’t have a waffle maker? No sweat, get store-bought waffles and focus on the chicken. One less thing to worry about.
Ingredients
Serves 4
For the waffles
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1 stick butter melted
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
salt and pepper
maple syrup and hot sauce for serving
For the chicken
1 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
4 thin chicken cutlets, patted dry (2 chicken breasts sliced horizontally to make 4 thin pieces)
Spice mix:
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
Directions
For the waffles
Preheat a waffle iron and brush with oil.
In one bowl, whisk the eggs, buttermilk, and butter. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1 tsp salt.
Transfer 1 cup of the dry mix to a plate or shallow bowl, and fold the rest into the wet ingredients.
When the waffle iron is ready, pour in 1 cup of batter (or the recommended amount for your waffle iron), cooking until golden brown (7-10 minutes). Repeat to create all your waffles.
For the chicken
Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Season each chicken cutlet with the spice mix before dredging in in the reserved flour mixture.
Dip the chicken in the buttermilk, and then again in the flour.
Cook in the oil for 2 minutes per side before transferring to a plate with the waffles.
Garnish with maple syrup and hot sauce, drink with our recommended beer.
The Beer
When I think of brunch, I think of mimosas. The zesty orange flavour, the carbonation, the crisp finish with a touch of sweetness seems to perk up the food. We’re going with something similar by pairing this dish with a Hazy IPA.
Option #1: Brookswood NEIPA
The Beer Loop
If you can get out to Langley, or find it on store shelves, we recommend trying Brookswood Brewing’s NEIPA. It has a beautiful orange and hazy colour like a mimosa. Even better than a mimosa, it has a thick head that holds its own for a long time, keeping the bouquet of aromas in suspension for a long while. That’s a good thing, because the bouquet is a full of tropical fruit with hints of citrus and grapefruit. The big tropical hop load in the nose carries through on the tongue with flavours that evolve to taste of ripe tropical fruit. The soft mouthfeel and slightly bitter finish will feel indulgent and perfect with this dish.
Option #2: Superflux Happyness
Can’t get to Langley? You can’t go wrong with the more readily-available Superflux Happyness, which was one of our best beers of the month in January.
It pours a golden orange and bursts with citrus and dry hop aromas with a faint dank note that foreshadows what to expect in the flavour. It feel bright and citrusy on first contact before evolving to a soft and pillowy mouthfeel. We picked up some pine and resin in the aftertaste that had us coming back for more. We also picked up tangerine and bitter citrus peel in the finish. Perfect for brunch.
More Beer and Food Pairings
16 new beers released last week
A rugged IPA makes its return
Last week saw a wide range of new beers make their way to taprooms and store shelves in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. Among them:
Dreamscape IPA from Superflux
A smoked lager from A-FRAME
And a Monster NEIPA from Camp Beer Co.
Upcoming Events
Cantillon Days at Dageraad Brewing is fast approaching. From February 11-15, seven rare kegs will be tapped, four at a time until the brewery runs out. Last time, the keg ran out in 14 hours. More kegs this time around means a better chance of tasting world class lambics and Belgian ales.
🍽️ Il Centro is hosting a beer tasting event on February 9, featuring Luppolo, Container, Powell Brewery, and East Van Brewing Company.
🎤 It's comedy night at Container Brewing tonight and February 21. Tickets here.
🏃♀️ Steel & Oak hosts a run club every Wednesday night. Run 3km or 5km to earn that beer!
♟️ Container Brewing is hosting a regular games night, with the next sessions taking place on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Seating is limited, so you'll need to get a ticket.
🧘 Patina Brewing is hosting a mindful brewing tasting yoga class every month on Saturdays. The next sessions are on February 18 and March 11.
🎨 Deep Cove is hosting Paint Night on February 6. Tickets are $39.
🎪More than 20 breweries are participating in the 2023 Sunshine Coast Beer Festival on February 25.
🧘 Container Brewing is offering a beer yoga session on February 25.
⚽️ Cumberland Brewing Co. has Foosball Tuesdays for the entire month of January and February, starting at 3pm. Bring a partner or come solo.
🤯 Trivia Nights
Every Monday at Smuggler's Trail in Langley
Every Tuesday at Old Yale in Chilliwack
Every Tuesday at Farm Country in Langley
Every Wednesday at Moody Ales in Port Moody
Every Thursday at 3 Dogs Brewing in White Rock, it’s music trivia.
Can you name that tune at Ace Brewing in Comox tomorrow?
It’s Romantic Comedies Trivia at Dead Frog in Langley on Feb 15.