Pecan Chicken and Waffle Appetizer with Sautéed Collards and Maple-Bourbon Drizzle
Mar 26, 2017, Updated Nov 21, 2023
The Ultimate Appetizer with Southern Charm ~ Grilled Chicken with Pecans and a Maple-Bourbon Glaze on top of crisp Buttermilk Waffles and Sweet and Sour Sautéed Collard Greens
On a recent trip to Charleston, South Carolina I fell in love with the cuisine of the low country; the flavors and lingering aromas. The picturesque city with it’s draping, giant live oaks and rust colored bricks – adorning buildings and walkways – made me feel very alive. An oh-so-charming city for anyone craving Southern comfort and a thriving food scene.
A wonderful appetizer for Entertaining! The recipe components can be made in advance (Waffles & Collard Greens) ~ then the recipe comes together quite quickly.
Components of the Recipe:
- Marinated & Grilled Chicken
- Toasted Chopped Pecans
- Maple- Bourbon Glaze
Researching Recipes:
I researched restaurants, agonizing over each menu to decide which, in a few short nights, I would visit. My decisions were based on their menus… primarily the ingredients, which I learned most chefs present their options – clearly stating which local farms they buy from.
Seemingly a new modern approach to classic well crafted Southern-cuisine mingled with hefty plates of Southern- fixin’s.
Testing the Recipe:
After two days of creativity in the kitchen, this recipe was proudly established. I loved the opportunity to rethink the waffle batter – my favorite rendition includes some whole wheat flour, grated apples and a touch of thyme. The perfect savory waffle, light and crispy – a great base for this appetizer.
Reworking the Recipe:
The chicken under the skewer started out as a pan-fried crispy one, delicious but too heavy for my palate, and – I like fried-style chicken better with it’s skin on. So, I sautéed some chicken in my cast iron grill pan with some cajun-style seasoning and garlic. When warm, I tossed it in a glaze based on bourbon, maple syrup and a touch of butter. To layer the flavors even more, toasted pecans (very Southern!) were rolled on each morsel of chicken.
Collard Greens:
Typically cooked with ham or bacon for quite a while, yielding a tender bite, but a vegetable with a lackluster color. It takes just a few moments to remove the ribs from collard leaves, cut them thinly and sauté with a touch of garlic, cane sugar and malt vinegar.
I’m loving these greens, if you have not tried them, the taste is reminiscent of – yes kale (but more supple.) And – the emerald green color pops!
Enjoy this fabulous recipe Charleston style!
All these components of this appetizer can be made ahead of time and reheated.
Karen
I have two of these!
Pecan Chicken and Waffle Appetizer with Sautéed Collards and Maple-Bourbon Drizzle
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breast halves, trimmed, washed and dried
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or neutral oil (expeller pressed)
- 1 teaspoon garlic, peeled, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons cajun seasonings, (as spicy as you like)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 1 pinch hot chili flakes
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, I use organic
- 1/3 cup pecans , toasted and coarsely chopped
- 1 recipe Karen’s Buttermilk Waffles, (see recipe)
- 1 recipe Sautéed Collard Greens, (see recipe)
Instructions
- Prepare: Karen’s Buttermilk Waffles & Sautéed Collard Greens
- Cut each large chicken breast across the grain into 5 strips each. Marinate in the oil, garlic, cajun seasonings. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hours, or up to in day in advance. Heat a cast iron grill pan over high heat, oil a little bit and grill the chicken until strong grill marks form over medium- high heat.Reduce heat to low, turn the pieces over, and cook until just underdone – they will be reheated for this recipe. Add to a heatproof baking dish to fit.
Maple-Bourbon Glaze:
- Make the glaze; add the maple syrup, bourbon and a pinch of chile flakes to a small heatproof bowl. Microwave until warmed through. Remove, and whisk in the cold butter to make a glaze.
- Cut the chicken into bite sized appetizer pieces, approximately 24. Add 3 tablespoons of glaze to the chicken, mix to coat; reserving remaining glaze. Heat the chicken until tender, and cooked through. Place the chopped pecans in a small dish, add each chicken piece, turning to coat slightly.
Finish the appetizer:
- Cut waffles into bite sized triangles, about 1 1/2" wide. Heat the wedges of waffles in a low oven for a few minutes until just crisped. Place them on a platter.Top each with a small portion of sautéed collard greens.Top with a piece of pecan chicken.Drizzle with a little of remaining maple- bourbon glaze on each - secure with a bamboo skewer and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
