Parisian Waffles à la I Love Lucy

Nick once gave me a magnet stating "Welcome to my kitchen! Now get out!". He knew I love to cook and entertain, yet did not love having people in my kitchen, peeking over my shoulder and sampling dishes while I was cooking. The are always a few exceptions. For instance, I loved it when Kristin would come into the kitchen, grab the biggest spoon to taste whatever was simmering on the stove and then lean over the kitchen sink so not to spill it. Sometimes she wanted just one more taste; it was then I knew the meal was a success. I loved it when Patrick  would come into the kitchen and ask when dinner was going to be ready; if it was his favorite meal, he would ask many times. Another exception is Nico, my 13 year old grandson. It is a real treat when he cooks with me. We decide on a recipe and then enjoy preparing the meal.  Nico is a joy to cook with and he will always be welcomed in my kitchen! I am not quite sure Lucy and Ricky would always be welcomed in my kitchen, as I think back over some of their culinary snafus.

Enjoy cooking and eating this dish with a loved one.

                                                              Parisian Waffles
                                                                 adapted from
                                                      The I Love Lucy Cookbook
                                                         Sarah Keys, Vicki Wells
                                                         Jennifer Newman Brazil

Ingredients
1 stick of butter plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon honey
4 slices thick bacon

Melt the stick of butter in a small saucepan. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes until the butter becomes golden and a small amount of sediment is visible. Set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the batter and add two eggs to the well. Start to whisk slowly, working out to the edges, to mix the dry ingredients with the eggs. When about half of the flour has been mixed in, begin to add 3/4 cup buttermilk to the center while whisking. Add the cream and blend mixture until flour is just incorporated. Add melted butter, orange zest and sage. Whisk until blended. Make waffles according to instructions for your waffle iron. This batter makes 4 medium waffles. If batter is too thick, add up to 1/4 cup additional buttermilk. Melt honey and 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and keep warm on the side. Place each cooked waffle on a plate. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, brown bacon over medium-high heat. Place 1 slice on each waffle. In the same sauté pan, fry the 4 remaining eggs in the grease left in the pan  (add a little vegetable oil if needed to prevent sticking). Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place 1 egg on each waffle on top of bacon. Drizzle the waffles with the honey butter and serve immediately.

Note: To make a more elaborate version of this dish, use poached eggs instead of fried. For a very rich variation, the poached eggs can be topped with hollandaise sauce.

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