By Chef Yadira

I thought I would share one of my brunch recipes – Chicken and Waffle – which originated in Pennsylvania Dutch country back in the 1600’s. That version, however, consisted of “pull” or “shredded” chicken on top of a waffle, and smothered in gravy.

My version of chicken and waffle is a play on my childhood favorite rotisserie chicken in Panama – “Pollo Asado Pio Pio”, paired with a Panamanian tortilla made as a waffle, and drizzled with my “salsa pio pio” made with tamarind and raspadura.

INGREDIENTS:

Tortilla Waffle

• 1/2 pound hominy corn (maíz trillado)
• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons salt

Rotisserie Chicken

• 4 boneless chicken thighs
• Lime juice or vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Mrs Dashes
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke

Pio Pio Sauce

• 6 ounces raspadura (aka panela, piloncillo, chancaca)
• 1/4 cup tamarind puree or paste
• 1/4 cup Ketchup
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce (salsa China)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (salsa Inglesa)
• 1 tablespoon Maggy sauce (salsa Maggy)
• Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

For Tortilla

1. Empty corn in a large container and wash thoroughly in cold water. Add 4 cups of cold water and soak overnight. Discard soaking water, place corn in a medium sauce pot, add 6 cups of clean water, and cook on medium high heat for 75 minutes. Remove from heat and strain off hot water (reserve 1 cup) and discard
2. Grind wet corn using a meat grinder (with the small-hole grinder disk) or process in food processor. Add oil and salt to the ground corn and knead to make a dough. Add reserve water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed, to make dough a little loose (note: dough should not be as firm as when making regular tortillas). Taste dough and adjust season, if needed
3. Spray both sides of the preheated waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Pour 1/4 of the dough batter to lightly cover the surface of the iron, depending on its size (take into consideration that the dough will spread once the lid is closed). Close the iron and cook until the waffle is deep golden brown and slightly crisp, about 8-10 minutes. Spray and repeat three more times with the remaining dough

For Rotisserie Chicken

1. Mix together Mrs Dashes, celery salt, salt and pepper, and cayenne (if using); set aside
2. Whisk oil and liquid smoke together, and set aside
3. Clean chicken with lime juice or vinegar. Pat dry. Rub thoroughly with oil mixture, ensuring that chicken thighs are well coated. Season generously with spices mixture. Marinate for about 4 hours
4. If you have a rotisserie machine, follow manufacture instructions to cook chicken
5. If no rotisserie machine, roast in oven. Preheat your oven to 450°F. Place thighs in a cast iron skillet and roast for 15 minutes
6. Reduce heat to 350°F and continue to roast for an additional 30-35 minutes or until the thermometer reads 165°F. Remove from oven, tent with foil, and allow to rest

For Pio Pio Sauce

1. Combine 1/2 cup water with the raspadura in a small saucepan and simmer on medium-high heat until raspadura has dissolved
2. Reduce heat to medium; add all remaining ingredients and continue to cook until sauce thickens, for about 15 minutes. Remove from stove and pour into a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Taste and adjust season, if needed. Keep warm

Plating

1. When ready to serve, place tortilla waffle at the bottom of a large plate, place 1-2 thighs on top, drizzle with sauce. Garnish with greens of choice and enjoy!