Turkey and Waffles

This week is Thanksgiving and I have been thinking for some time about how to use the leftovers. One of my favorite savory breakfasts is chicken and waffles, so I thought why not turkey and waffles? I had previously used turkey stuffing as a base for my Thanksgiving Benedict so why not use it to make the waffle. I have seen it done before, but I wanted to do it with a breaded fried turkey thigh. First I would brine and debone the thigh then bread it and fry it just like fried chicken. All that remains it to decide whether I want to use maple syrup or turkey gravy.

Ingredients:

 turkey thighs or breast

 2 cups flour seasoned with salt and pepper

 3 eggs

 2 cups panko bread crumbs

 oil for deep frying

 leftover stuffing (2 cups per person)

 1 tbsp. salt, 2 tsp. sugar dissolved in 1 quart water

Procedure:

 1. Brine the turkey in the salt, sugar mixture for at least 2 hours or overnight

 2. Dry the turkey and dust in the flour. Dip in beaten eggs then roll in the panko bread crumbs. Fry in 325 degree oil until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a 300 degree oven and finish cooking until the turkey reaches 165 degrees internal temperature.

 3. While the turkey cooks spoon the leftover stuffing into a hot waffle iron and cook until nicely browned. Serve the turkey on top of the waffle and serve with gravy or if you wish syrup. The waffles can be done before and heated up in the toaster before serving.

---