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:

• Karen’s Buttermilk Waffles

• Sautéed Collard Greens

• 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

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

Prep Time: 1 hour hour

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Resting time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 appetizers

Author: Karen Sheer a zest for life

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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

This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.

COURSE: Appetizer, Hors d'oeuvres

CUISINE: American, Southern

KEYWORDS: lighened up chicken & waffles, Pecan Chicken and Waffle Appetizer

Nutrition Facts

Pecan Chicken and Waffle Appetizer with Sautéed Collards and Maple-Bourbon Drizzle

Amount per Serving

Calories

54

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

3

g

5

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Trans Fat

 

0.03

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

0.5

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Cholesterol

 

14

mg

5

%

Sodium

 

25

mg

1

%

Potassium

 

91

mg

3

%

Carbohydrates

 

3

g

1

%

Fiber

 

0.3

g

1

%

Sugar

 

2

g

2

%

Protein

 

4

g

8

%

Vitamin A

 

189

IU

4

%

Vitamin C

 

1

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

10

mg

1

%

Iron

 

0.2

mg

1

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.