Recipe: Amber Ale Fried Chicken and Waffles

Try out our take on chicken and waffles. The sweet, toasted, caramel malts of Amber Ale are the perfect addition to this sweet and savory favorite. 

Ingredients 

• 2 bottles of Bell's Amber Ale
• 1 grapefruit, zested and juiced
• 1 Tbsp. Sriracha (or your favorite hot sauce)
• 1 Tbsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
• 2 whole fryer chickens, cut into pieces with the bone in 
• 32 oz. whole buttermilk
• 6 oz. plain flour
• 2 Tbsp. sweet paprika
• Frying oil (peanut of pure vegetable oil)

In the kitchen

• In a large bowl combine Bell's Amber Ale, grapefruit juice and zest, Sriracha, honey, minced garlic, salt, pepper and fresh herbs.
• Add chicken to the mixture and use hands to coat all the pieces. 
• Cover and marinade overnight, turning every few hours. 
• Remove the chicken from the refrigerator two hours before use.
• Drain off the marinade. 
• Cover the chicken with the buttermilk and let rest for 30 minutes. 
• In a large bowl combine flour, sweet paprika and tsp. of salt. 
• Follow fryer instructions to heat the fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• If you do not have a fryer use a heavy 6-8 quart pot and fill halfway with oil, heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Place a wire rack beside your cooking station to place cooked chicken on to drain.
• In cooking station, have the chicken and flour mixture next to each other. 
• Place chicken onto baking sheet to drain some of the buttermilk.
• In two or three batches, dredge the chicken pieces in flour and place in fryer.
• Top off the oil as needed, and return temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. 
• If needed, place wire rack on baking sheet and finish the chicken in oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit until done.

Serve with homemade waffles, sriracha infused honey and a glass of Bell's Amber Ale.