• Preheat the oven to 200°F and place a rack on a large baking sheet.

For the Chicken

• Heat about 1/2 inch of cooking oil in a large skillet to 350°F.
  Vegetable oil
• Slice each cutlet into 1-inch to 2-inch pieces (You could also leave the cutlets whole for meal-size chicken and waffles).
  1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
• Add the buttermilk to a shallow bowl and add hot sauce, if desired.
  3/4 cup buttermilk | 1 tbsp hot sauce (optional)
• In another bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups of flour, the pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, sage, and thyme. Mix well.
  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour | 1 tsp ground black pepper | 1/2 tsp salt | 1/4 tsp rubbed sage | 1/8 tsp ground thyme
• Dip the chicken pieces in the flour mixture, then in the buttermilk, and then dip in the flour mixture again to coat.
• When the oil reaches 350°F, add several chicken pieces. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove the fried chicken pieces to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
• Transfer the chicken to the rack and keep them warm in the 200°F oven.

For the Waffles

• Brush the waffle iron with a little oil or melted butter, then preheat.
  Oil or melted butter for the waffle iron
• In a medium bowl, combine the 2 cups of flour, baking powder, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
  2 cups all-purpose flour | 4 tsp baking powder | 1 tbsp granulated sugar | 1/4 tsp salt
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy; add the milk and melted butter, whisking until smooth.
  2 large eggs | 1 3/4 cups milk | 1/2 cup butter
• Add the dry ingredients to the milk and egg mixture and whisk until smooth.
• Add about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the batter to the waffle iron for each waffle—see the manufacturer's instructions for exact amounts.
• Bake the waffles in the waffle iron for about 5 minutes, or until they stop steaming.
• Keep the waffles warm in the preheated 200°F oven while making more batches.
• Cut the waffles into quarters and top each with a piece of fried chicken. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup if desired.
  Maple syrup (optional)