Say Cheese: Savoury Herbed Ricotta Waffles Recipe
Say Cheese: Savoury Herbed Ricotta Waffles
February 26, 2016 By Isabelle Boucher 9 Comments | Filed Under: brunch, side dish, vegetarian
I know what you’re thinking. Don’t savoury waffles kind of defeat the purpose of making waffles in the first place? Waffles are just a means to convey large amounts of maple syrup into your belly, right?
(OK, maybe that’s just what I’m thinking.)
The thing is, it’s worth taking a walk on the savoury side sometimes. I promise, these here waffles are so tender and fluffy and downright delicious that you won’t miss the syrup one bit.
This recipe started off as a way to use up a half-finished tub of ricotta and some random fresh herbs that were kicking around in the fridge, but these days I’ve been known to go out and buy a fresh tub of ricotta just so I can make a batch.
Aside from their lack of compatibility with maple syrup, these waffles are actually surprisingly versatile.
Sometimes I top them with thin slices of rosemary ham and poached eggs for brunch, sometimes I serve them with a bowl of soup in lieu of bread, and sometimes I ladle on a creamy chicken and mushroom stew for a saucier take on chicken and waffles.
(And sometimes, possibly maybe, I snag one and eat it plain right off the waffle iron when no one is looking. Shhh… that’ll be our little secret.)
I mean, what’s not to love about a waffle that you can literally eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner?
Yup. No complaints here.
Herbed Ricotta Waffles These tender, fluffy waffles are a great way to use up any leftover fresh herbs you might have kicking around in the fridge - rosemary, thyme, chives, savory and oregano are all quite delicious. Serve them with poached eggs for brunch, or with a saucy stew for dinner. Author: Isabelle Boucher (Crumb) Recipe type: Main Serves: 4 Ingredients
2 cups flour 1 tbsp baking powder ¾ tsp salt 1¼ cups buttermilk ½ cup ricotta cheese ¼ cup olive oil 2 eggs ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs Instructions
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt until combined In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, ricotta, olive oil, eggs and herbs. Add to the dry ingredients, and stir until you have a smooth, thick batter. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat a waffle iron. Once the waffle iron reaches the desired temperature, spoon batter onto the waffle iron and spread into an even layer (check your manufacturer's instructions to confirm how much batter you should be using - this varies from one machine to another). Cook until waffles are lightly golden and crisp on the outside, and cooked through inside. Keep waffles warm in a 200F oven until ready to serve. To assemble, arrange two waffles on each plate, then ladle the chicken marsala overtop. Sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve immediately. Notes These waffles can be made with pretty much any kind of fresh herb. My personal favourites are rosemary, chives, thyme and tarragon, but feel free to play around with different combinations of herbs based on your mood or what's kicking around in your fridge (or just use a single herb, if you're a real purist). 3.5.3208