I’m going to start by saying this is one of those meals (in my opinion) that might fall under the cultural appropriation part of white veganism and I’m truly hoping to not offend as I make this! I love to celebrate our differences and I have a love for appreciating other cultures. Seriously, I love food and all my favourite foods are from other cultures. Let’s face it, what food would Canada (at least the white people) call it’s “cultural food”? Poutine? That extra gross bacon? I definitely eat a lot of vegan poutine, but haven’t touched that other stuff since the early 90s! And my heritage is Irish….so lots of meat – yuck! – and potatoes….okay I’m a potato person for sure. I don’t even like Guiness beer lol.

So this is my shout-out to the Southern US states (I admit not knowing where!), as chicken and waffles is a well loved tradition (from what I’ve learned). Lets celebrate the fact that Southern folx know their comfort foods probably better then most!! Seriously, if I could teleport I’d eat at places like Atlas Monroe & Slutty Vegan daily😂. All that being said, whenever I post recipes and dishes that are from other cultures, please know I’m posting with love and utmost appreciation of your beautiful food and wonderful flavours. Since I was a small child, learning about others and their cultures has been on of the things I am interested in! Love to all my fellow beings. Now on with the show!

This version is vegan and gluten-free! The chick’un is made from oyster mushrooms and the waffles are made with Bob’s Gluten-free 1-1 flour.

Traditionally, people put hot sauce on top, but I’m sort’ve a wimp when it comes to the hot sauce, so I put it in the batter for the chick’un! I decided to up the crunch factor and added…….Doritos to the breading!! Sweet Chili Heat Doritos to be specific! Yes, they are vegan and gluten-free!!!

You need a waffle maker to make this dish, but I’m guessing, if you don’t, you could just make some pancakes! Same batter, just not as fancy!! It took me a while to settle on a gluten-free recipe that I liked, so I wanted to make sure I shared it with you in case you are also trying to find a good one! I hope you like it. The part that new vegans (or those simply curious) always ask, but what do you use for eggs? Well, this (and most) recipes call for egg replacers and there are lots on the market, but I find, for baked goods, similar to the flour, I use Bob’s Red Mill pictured below.

This recipe is pretty much about timing. Everyone’s waffle maker will take a different amount of time, but the trick I use is to check them waffle when the steam stops escaping the waffle maker! And since you’re going to be frying the mushrooms, it’s okay to use a bit of cooking spray on the waffle maker to make sure they don’t stick! Baking powder is an important ingredient as it’ll make your waffle fluffier! Also, make sure you check the flour you’re using. Some gluten-free flour already contains  xanthan gum. If yours does, make sure you skip that in the recipe as too much will definitely change the texture of the waffle! If it doesn’t, xanthan gum is actually easy to find. It’s usually in the health section of regular grocery stores.

I get everything ready first. Making sure the mushrooms are cleaned and trimmed down. Set yourself up a dredging station near your pan/deep fryer. You’ll need separate bowls: one for the “egg” mixture, one for the “buttermilk”, one for the coating and, lastly, one to place the fried pieces in.

As I said above, I put the hot sauce into the liquid batter, which is technically a “buttermilk” and I put the crunched up Doritos into the coating, which is a mix of flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.

I found that once the batter for the waffles is ready to go and you have your dredging station set up, you can start. Heat the oil to 325F. If you don’t have a thermometer, just use the end of a wooden spoon, place it in the oil and when you get bubbles, it’s ready! First, pour the batter into the waffle maker, which has been preheated on medium-high. Then dredge the mushroom pieces into the liquid, then the breadcrumbs. I try to use one hand for the liquid bowl and one for the dry. Or use forks! If you want them extra crispy, dip it back into the liquid and dry again before gently setting into the oil. Fry for about 5 minutes, each side, or until it becomes a nice golden brown. Remove and place in a paper towel lined bowl so you can soak up some of the oil. Keep in an oven safe pan in the oven so it stays warm.

Without further ado, let’s just jump into the recipe! If you try it, remember to post to social media and tag me!

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