Sage Appliances recently sent me one of their waffle makers to try. I’d heard great things about their citrus juicer and coffee grinder, so was very keen to give this a go. I’m not exactly a prolific producer of waffles in my kitchen, but I had other plans for this machine. Bigger plans.
I’ve used this machine every day since, although I must confess I haven’t yet made a waffle. Savoury waffles can be nice from time to time and I keep meaning to get round to trying a whole grain recipe – I read the lower gluten content of these flours can actually be better for making tender waffles. But I haven’t quite managed yet.
Instead, I waffled just about everything else. This machine truly has become one of my go-to appliances. I think it actually pleases me more than my Thermomix. All a waffle machine really consists of is two dimpled hotplates, but its simplicity belies its truly enormous potential. By pressing a huge range of foods between these non-stick plates, using little or no extra oil, you can achieve wonderful browning.
And because the top hotplate is effectively a lid closed over the food, the contents are steamed as they brown. So you get crispy outsides and tender, moist insides. Can you imagine the range of foods that benefit hugely from that steam/fry cooking technique? Oh the textural contrast!
Foods that would ordinarily be deep-fried – falafels for example – can be transformed into healthy snacks that are either as delicious, or very nearly as delicious, as the original. One of the very best things I have made is Indian bhajis – vegetables like onion, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, bound with chickpea flour, water and spices. This machine turns what would normally be an occasional deep-fried treat into a super healthy, vegetable- and protein-packed side dish. That tastes amazing.
But the functions of this machine extend further than that. I was guided in my quest by Daniel Shumski’s bible of waffle cookery, Will it Waffle?
Think waffled macaroni and cheese, waffled hash browns, waffled stuffing and waffled tamale pie and you’ll have a taster of what lies inside this joyful book.
With the help of this machine, I discovered that one of life’s great pleasures is a piece of waffled toast, piled, of course, with copious amounts of butter. What a thing it is to discover one of life’s great joys at the age of thirty-four. The inside of the slice of bread stays soft, chewy and not at all dry, while the outsides are browned and crisped.
Sage by Heston Blumenthal Waffle Maker also works extremely well as a panini machine. I already knew a hot, fresh, toasted sandwich was amaze-balls, but now I have unfettered access to them whenever I want. That is dangerous.
You usually have to flip the paninis halfway through, so they are pressed evenly by the top hotplate, but that is a very small price to pay. Yes that is waffled, caramelised cheese encrusting the sandwich below.
Okay, now so far this machine is a waffle-making – deep-frying – toasting – panini machine. But I’m not finished.
It’s also great for preparing vegetables. As a vegetarian, I frequently have to brown slices of aubergine or courgette, or caramelise and reduce mushrooms before adding them to a dish. Now I can just press them in my waffle machine – the vegetables come out soft and well cooked inside, with plenty of tasty Maillard reaction happening on the outside from the browning.
This is a fantastic technique for making a healthier aubergine Parmigiana, for example, as all this is achieved with very minimal oil (if you opt to use any at all).
These mushrooms are crying out for a flavourful marinade to soak up, before forming the first layer of an epic veggie burger (like my Marinated Aubergine, Mushroom & Halloumi Burgers).
Anything you would normally cook under a grill or in a frying pan should be considered potentially waffle-able. It’s a great helper in the kitchen and now occupies very precious work surface space in my tiny kitchen, where previously only a Thermomix and a fantastically powerful 1980s food processor were allowed to sit.
Other things on my waffling horizon
arancini
jalapeno poppers
tofu
aloo paratha
crackers
Yorkshire pudding
courgette rosti
veggie burgers
socca
caramelised garlic
cauliflower steaks
roasted peppers
Do you have any other suggestions?
The Sage by Heston Blumenthal No-Mess Waffle Maker is available wherever you buy your kitchen appliances. In the US, this machine is called the Breville No-Mess Waffle Iron.
I was sent this waffle machine to review, but I only rave about equipment that I absolutely love.
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