VEGETARIAN “CHICKEN” AND WAFFLES

This idea was born out of the truffled Scotch egg we concocted with Chef Andrew Adams and served at an event celebrating farmers at the Brooks Museum in Memphis. With culinary awesomeness, Adams showed us how to deep-fry an egg without overcooking the center. His sous vide method yielded a perfect egg: crispy on the outside with a slightly set yolk. It was the hit of the evening.

At home, we don’t happen to have an immersion circulator or an industrial fryer (or an incredible kitchen staff full of talented chefs, for that matter), so we figured out how to poach the egg with the flour mixture already in place.

This crispy egg is spiked with the kinds of seasoning you’d normally find in fried chicken. Adding a little truffle salt makes this a really special version of a soul food classic.

Special equipment: four 12 × 12-inch squares microwave-safe plastic wrap, four 4-inch pieces of kitchen twine

¼ teaspoon black truffle salt

½ teaspoon dried sage

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup panko bread crumbs

4 large eggs

Canola oil (for frying)

4 Belgian waffles (freshly made or frozen)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (to garnish)

Sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper (to taste)

½ cup warm maple syrup

In a saucepan over medium heat, bring a pot of water at least 3 ½ inches deep to a simmer. In a small bowl, mix together the truffle salt, sage, thyme, garlic powder, pepper, flour, and panko bread crumbs.

Lay the four sheets of plastic wrap flat on your work surface. Scatter 2 tablespoons of the spiced flour in a single layer over the center 5 inches of each plastic wrap sheet. Crack 1 egg on the center of each. Gather the corners of the plastic wrap. Place the corners into one hand. With the other hand, grab the egg bundle and twist while being sure to push out any air. Tie the twisted portion with the string. Repeat for each.

Prepare an ice bath in a medium bowl. Place the egg bundles into the simmering water for 5 to 7 minutes. At 5 minutes, the white will be set, but the yolk will still be runny. If you like your yolk more set, leave the bundle in the water for 7 minutes. When the eggs are done, remove the bundles and place them into an ice bath while they’re still wrapped in plastic.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the canola oil up to 350 degrees F. The oil should be at least 2 ½ inches deep in the pan. Using kitchen shears, snip the plastic just below where it was tied. Carefully unwrap the egg. Using a slotted spoon, lower the egg into the oil for a total of 1 minute or until it’s golden brown.

To serve, place one egg atop a warm waffle. Garnish with parsley, salt, and pepper, plus a drizzle of maple syrup.

Makes 4 servings.

TIP: If you’re serving this to friends or at a dinner party, you can do all the steps up to the frying beforehand. Then when your guests are hungry, dinner will come together quickly.