By Yewande Komolafe
Toasted sesame, fresh scallion, salty cheese and tingly black pepper all infuse these light and savory golden waffles with flavor that a simpler waffle can usually only dream of. When served topped with eggs — fried or poached — these become a wonderful breakfast, perfect brunch or filling snack. They are best served warm, but you can enjoy them at room temperature, too. The batter can be prepared ahead and stored refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and cook as directed in Step 3. The cooked waffles can be tightly wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. To serve, toast a frozen waffle in a toaster, toaster oven or an oven set to 375 degrees.
Yield: 4 to 6 waffles
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups/231 grams all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (such as Morton)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup/100 grams grated Parmesan, pecorino or white Cheddar
3/4 cup thinly sliced scallions (about 4) or 1/2 cup chopped chives
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups/300 milliliters whole-milk buttermilk
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup/60 grams unsalted butter, melted, plus more for waffle iron
Poached or fried eggs, for serving (optional)
Preparation:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, sesame seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt and black pepper, then stir in the grated cheese and scallions. Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and put the whites in a medium bowl. Drop the yolks in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk and toasted sesame oil and stir together gently to form a batter. Do not overmix.
2. Beat the whites to medium peaks using a whisk or a hand held mixer. Add the whipped whites to the batter and, using a rubber spatula, fold them in by gently scooping up some batter from the bottom and folding it over the whites on the top. Rotate the bowl and repeat until just incorporated. Fold in 1/4 cup melted butter.
3. Heat a waffle iron and, using a pastry brush or paper towel, lightly coat with butter. Cook waffles (using a heaped 2/3 cup batter per waffle) until golden and crisp. Butter the iron between batches as needed.
4. Serve waffles immediately as they are ready, or keep them warm in a 200-degree oven until ready to serve. Top with a poached or fried egg, if desired.