Game Day Entertaining
September 3, 2016
Alabama vs USC
Auburn vs Clemson
Fried Chicken & Champagne
Southern fried chicken & waffles are a classic combination so when a good old fashioned throw down on the football field is about to take place, call in the special teams. Buffalo-style madness always lands on top in the rankings among fanatics with traditional game day snack appetites so here’s the game plan. Huddle a few deep fried chicken strips over a stack of crispy cornbread waffles, douse with a generous serving of melted butter & hot sauce then finish strong with a smidgen of Clemson blue cheese. You are now well equipped to eat up Auburn’s competition. Make the win sweeter with a drizzle of maple syrup for a bonafide No. 1 spot in the BCS tailgating polls.
Just like a bottle of bubbly can get pretty rowdy without the punt, so can a southern football powerhouse like the Alabama Crimson Tide. USC’s home team state of California may know a thing or two about sparkling wine & spirits of that nature but it doesn’t compare to the focus Southerner’s place on quality preparations, dedication, discipline & focus on football field fundamentals. Be prepared to take down the competition before the first snap of the game ball with a few custom created Alabama & Auburn champagne cocktails.
As football programs across the country get ready to play with all of their heart & soul, here’s a toast to a season of champagne wishes & for one lucky team to walk away with a national championship title dream-come-true.
The Game Plan
Organize the starting line up of specializes on wooden & slate boards.
Add a stack of plates, a caddy of utensils & napkins sporting team colors.
Create a formation of deep fried food logistics…
Set up a frying station with wire racks, half sheet pans & tongs.
Have perforated metal spoons & spiders close to retrieve chicken from hot grease.
A kitchen island makes a smart spot for a hot gridiron.
Get a few waffles started ahead of time if you’d like to.
Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan to keep warm in a 200 degree oven.
Add the chicken as it becomes ready, too.
Create a bar on a table or cart for making the champagne cocktails.
Ice down beer outside to keep bottlenecking under control.
With these tips, you’re guaranteed a winning spread option.
The Television Tutorial
Tide & Tigers Today
Tailgating
2016
Episode 1
Fried Chicken & Champagne
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The Menu
Fried Chicken & Champagne
Kick-off game day in style with champagne cocktails bubbling with team spirit. Clench a signature win with the main course… Southern fried chicken & waffles covered up with butter, hot sauce & maple syrup.
Buffalo Fried Chicken
Cornbread Waffles
Yellowhammer Champagne Cocktail
Auburn Champagne Cocktail
Buffalo Fried Chicken & Cornbread Waffles
makes 12 servings
Run The Option
Allow the waffles to cool & soften at room temperature. Offer guests a selection of buffalo chicken flavors. Hold the waffles like a taco & fill with the fried chicken & toppings.
1/2 cup whole buttermilk
1/4 cup hot sauce
1 egg
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3/4-inch strips
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup plain yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp celery salt
1 tsp kosher salt
Vegetable oil
Cornbread Waffles
Toppings: Melted butter, hot sauce, blue cheese, scallions & maple syrup
Whisk together the first 3 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the chicken, coating all sides well. Chill 2 to 24 hours. Whisk together the flour, the cornmeal, the garlic powder, the celery salt & the kosher salt in a medium bowl. Dip the chicken pieces into the cornmeal mixture, shaking off the excess. Pour the oil to a depth of 1 1/2 inches in a Dutch oven & heat to 360 degrees. Drop the chicken pieces into the oil & fry, in batches, 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown & the chicken registers at least 175 degrees. Remove from the oil & drain on a rack over paper towels. Serve the hot fried chicken with the Cornbread Waffles. Top with melted butter, hot sauce, blue cheese, scallions & maple syrup.
The Extra Point
Kid-friendly zone coverage. Serve the fried chicken strips with familiar benchwarmers such as ketchup & honey mustard.
Cornbread Waffles
makes 12 servings
The Gridiron
Start with a very hot waffle iron. Make a timeline & plan to plug in the machine 5 to 10 minutes before you begin cooking & serving for the most accurate results.
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup plain yellow cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 cups whole buttermilk
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
Preheat the waffle maker. Whisk together the flour, the cornmeal the baking powder, the baking soda & the salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk, the eggs & the oil. Pour over the flour mixture & whisk gently to combine. Raise the lid & lightly grease the waffle grids with cooking spray. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter over each waffle square. Close the lid & cook 4 minutes or until the steam subsides. Remove the waffles with nylon tip tongs. Repeat with the remaining waffle batter. Serve the waffles warm or at room temperature.
The Extra Point
Blackberry conserve, homemade apple butter or poached vanilla scented pears are a lavish way to indulge in these first string superstars for Sunday brunch. Drizzle with a smidgen of melted butter, maple syrup or local honey for a sweet ending.
FROM THE SOUTHERN HOSTESS OF BUTTERMILK LIPSTICK
{helpful advice}
How To Handcraft Game Day Champagne Cocktails
Auburn & Alabama icons star in these toasts of the tailgate
The point of the game, the entire season for that matter, is to strip the championship title from the team who won it last. Without a doubt, each college football team in the country is on top of it. Plan to entertain with the same notion in mind. Steal first-rate, local finds from each opponents very own backyard to score the best tailgating spread around.
California champagne or sparkling wine is a great way to celebrate as well as signify the final outcome of the game. The perfect accessory to a carefully curated game day ensemble is a signature cocktail of course. Get ready to raise your pearl bracelets & sports coat sleeves with poise & grace for an old fashioned, southern-style season opener toast.
Down. The. Hatch.
Y’all.
Alabama vs USC Trojans
During the week of the 1985 college football season openers, Huey Lewis and The News owned the Billboard Charts with their No. 1 single, “The Power Of Love” & according to a Southern based soft drink giant, Coca-Cola was America’s Real Choice but not without controversy. A world wide hullabaloo unfolded with the debut of New Coke. External brands aside, Co-Cola had created it’s own internal matchup by reintroducing Coca-Cola as “Classic” & launching a newfangled version of Coke, sending purists into a meltdown on the sidelines. Although the play call was a risky one, it would prove to be profitable by pumping fresh life into the longstanding, beloved brand not only by retaining loyalists but also by recruiting a contemporary Classic Coca-Cola fan base & securing the original recipe as the one & only title champion.
The year also marked the beginning of a new era in NCAA rules & regulations with the introduction of overtime, a tie breaking game plan that would unfold on the field as some of the most memorable moments in college football history to date. Ending a ball game with a tie may have been so out but winning one with “The Kick” by Alabama’s Van Tiffin was so in. The Crimson Tide barely squeaked by their final regular season game as the clock ticked to zero with an Iron Bowl triumph against the Auburn Tigers sealing their season record with 9 wins & a bowl invitation to Honolulu, Hawaii for a matchup against the USC Trojans in the Aloha Bowl. It marked the last time these two storied teams played one another on the football field. With a classic mix of stormy personalities slated to coach on the sidelines, a showdown in Arlington, Texas is sure to unfold right before our very eyes.
Yellowhammer Champagne Cocktail
makes 8 servings
Style Points
Cherries with stems are an easy way to garnish a cocktail. Pour a tall glass of this T-Town inspired sipper & take your seat. The South meets the West. Get ready for one wild night.
2 cups pineapple juice, chilled
1 1/2 cups orange juice, chilled
1/2 cup light rum
2 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice or grenadine
1/2 tsp almond extract
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
Garnish: Fresh or maraschino cherries
Stir together the first 5 ingredients in a small pitcher. Pour about 1/2 cup of the mixture into glasses filled with ice. Top with the champagne. Garnish with cherries.
The Extra Point
The beverage tastes just as delicious with bourbon or vodka. Make a substitution, if desired.
Auburn vs Clemson
Auburn & Clemson share fascinating historical similarities which more than likely didn’t occur simply by chance. The first encounter between the two football teams took place in 1899. Heading up Auburn was coach John Heisman for which the coveted Hesiman Trophy is named with Clemson led by Walter Riggs. Riggs, impressed by Heisman’s leadership, offered him the Clemson coaching position the very next season.
Riggs had originally started his career with the Auburn Tigers years earlier himself. It’s believed he brought many of those same traditions to Clemson which would explain the uncanny similarities. Without proper funding, Riggs made due the first season by dressing out his football team in some old Auburn football uniforms he had brought with him. The orange set appeared to be in pretty good shape so it became a prominent color for the team but the navy jersey’s had faded a bit & appeared more purple in color. Today, the shade is officially known as Regalia. Riggs let the Clemson players choose the mascot but it’s probably no coincidence that it happened to be a tiger.
In 1998, Auburn came from behind to score 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter owning a 21-17 victory over the Clemson Tigers in the Peach Bowl. A fierce combination of guts, determination & soul has always been the underlying theme when these two passionate agri-schools meet for head to head matchups. Although the rivalry has been an on-again off-again meeting, the series is set to resume as an annual event starting with the 2016 season. The evening promises to be filled with wild eyes, wild hearts & excitement.
Auburn Champagne Cocktail
makes 8 servings
Style Points
Fresh blueberries & lemon slices thread onto wooden skewers are quite the cat’s meow for a game day cocktail garnish. This lemonade cooler plays homage to the “fearless & true” orange & blue tigers. A splash of champagne guarantees a lively start to tailgating festivities. Brace yourselves for what should be a heated battle sure to unfold on the gridiron.
2 cups lemonade, chilled
1 cup pineapple juice, chilled
1/2 cup orange juice, chilled
1/2 cup light rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled
Garnishes: Lemon slices & fresh blueberries
Stir together the first 5 ingredients in a small pitcher. Pour about 1/2 cup of the mixture into glasses filled with ice. Top with the champagne. Garnish with lemons & blueberries.
The Extra Point
Combine the lemonade & fruit juices then transfer to a milk container for easy traveling. Pop a bottle of bubbly on campus once ready to serve.
etc
Game Day Entertaining 101
Visit these posts for more football & tailgating party inspiration
The Ultimate Game Day Snack Mix
Game Day Cocktails 101: The Bloody Mary
Game Day Provisions 101: Homemade Salsa
Game Day Provisions 101: Referee Cookies
Game Day Provisions 101: Classic Spinach Dip
Game Day Provisions 101: Reveille Pimiento Cheese Biscuits
Game Day Tailgating: A Smokin’ Hot Kick-Off
The Tailgaters Quick Reference BBQ Guide
The Essential Tailgating Social Cocktail Primer
The Essential Tailgating Tent Guide
Game Day Provisions 101: Gridiron Whiskey Caramel Corn
Game Day Crafts 101: Tag Football Sacks
Game Day Crafts 101: Gridiron Tailgating Bags
Game Day Crafts 101: Almond Footballs
The Tune
“Wild Night” Van Morrison
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Be sweet.
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