CHICKEN-FRIED SAUSAGE AND WAFFLES
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
LOS ANGELES REALLY IS the home of chicken and waffles, so when I was asked to make a vegan food option for an LA-based conference, I thought why not do a killer vegan version that everyone would love? The waffle recipe itself is made with ground flax instead of eggs and a little whole wheat flour—they’re buttery and crisp and delicious. And the meat portion is inspired by Ezell’s, a much-beloved fried chicken spot in Seattle. I worked to deconstruct Ezell’s recipe and found that the secret to getting that supercrispy crunch is crushed cornflakes. For my plant-based version I use our sausage for the dark meat and maitake mushrooms (otherwise known as hen of the woods) for the light meat. The takeaway: if you’re wondering what to make to turn someone on to vegan food, this recipe has a 100 percent success rate. Just saying.
SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM FRY
1½ cups unsweetened plain almond milk, cold
3 tablespoons Follow Your Heart vegan egg
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons celery salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon sea salt
2 cups cornflakes, pulsed in a food processor or crushed using the bottom of a glass
2 links Smoked Potato and Artichoke Sausage (here) or Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage Sausage, sliced on the bias into ⅔-inch-thick pieces
1 (3½-ounce) bunch maitake mushrooms, divided into 2-inch pieces
WAFFLES, DRY INGREDIENTS
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
WAFFLES, WET INGREDIENTS
4 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup vegan butter, melted
2 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
2 tablespoons safflower oil
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups safflower or another high-heat oil, such as canola, peanut, or vegetable, for frying
Safflower or canola oil spray
GARNISH
Pure maple syrup
Vegan butter
1. In a blender, blend together the milk and vegan egg until fully combined, about 2 minutes. Pour the mixture into a medium-size bowl.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the flour and the celery salt, garlic powder, paprika, curry powder, pepper, sage, onion powder, and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Add the cornflakes and stir to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ¾ cup flour and remaining teaspoon of salt and set aside.
4. Take a piece of sausage and lightly press down on the flat side so it loses about half its height and has less of a rigid shape. Repeat the process with the rest of the sausage pieces.
5. To bread the sausage and the mushrooms, dip first into the bowl of salted flour to fully coat. Shake off any excess flour and transfer the piece to the milk mixture, being careful not to get your hand wet. Using your opposite hand, retrieve the piece from the milk bowl and transfer it to the cornflake mixture, being careful not to dip that hand into the dry mixture. Using your dry hand, coat the piece with cornflake mixture on both sides, gently pressing down to ensure the coating has adhered to the piece. Transfer the finished pieces to a tray and set aside.
6. In a large bowl, whisk together the waffle dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the waffle wet ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk gently, stopping just before everything is fully combined. Set aside.
7. Heat a waffle iron. In a deep fryer or Dutch oven, heat the frying oil to 375°F.
8. Spray the waffle iron with oil, pour in about ⅓ cup of batter, and close. Following the directions of the waffle iron manufacturer, cook until golden brown. Repeat until all the batter is cooked.
9. While the waffles are cooking, begin deep-frying the sausage and mushroom pieces, a few at a time, until golden brown. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate.
10. Plate the fried sausage and mushroom pieces on top of the waffles and serve with maple syrup and vegan butter.