“It’s hard to impress me with chicken.” Ever since he was young Bobby had loved food. He had always been around cooking and the joy it brought. Since Bobby was young he could remember working in his family’s diner. It was in a sleepy town in Montana, Yellow Hills. It didn’t have anything fancy, just good simple food. This kind of simple homestyle cooking is what made Bobby fall in love with cooking in the first place. His dream was to become a chef and make high class food that anyone would like. He hated how snobby food became at the highest level and he wanted to change that. As soon as he graduated high school he instantly began his journey in culinary school.

He decided to go to the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, located in Hyde Park, New York. There he refined his skills and learned countless aspects of cooking he never learned in his family’s diner. Everything was very organized and rigid. There was even a strict hierarchy Bobby never dealt with back home. Everyone saying, “yes chef” to the instructors and even older students. Bobby grew up with everyone working where they could. One second you might be making eggs the next you would mop up orange juice. This rigid system was something Bobby had to adjust to.

Throughout his journey in culinary school he learned to adapt. He started getting used to working in these kitchens, as well as the strict requirements that came with them. Bobby was always told by his teachers how diner style food had a limit to how good it could be. Sure it might taste good but there was a limit to the level you could achieve with his style. Whenever Bobby told his instructors how he wanted to change how people viewed high class food they laughed. How would Bobby change generations of high dining? But Bobby didn’t lose determination. He used his years in school as a chance to learn and develop his special style of cooking. On the one hand Bobby used the simple tasty foods he remembered from the diner. But he also used high level ingredients and cooking techniques to elevate his family’s simple food. Everyone around him laughed, sure his food definitely was tasty but how could it compete with foods like beef wellington or lobster bisque. There was no way food like chicken and waffles could compete in a 5 star restaurant.

Bobby didn’t listen to his pears or anyone. He had a goal and he was going to stick to it. He would reinvent the way people looked at high class food.

He went through his 4 years at culinary school keeping this goal in mind. In a rush came his final exam. It was a simple test pass or fail. They had to create any meal they wanted in front of a panel of five Michelin star chefs. These were people who had been in and around kitchens for decades. All of them were critically acclaimed. They were harsh and expected the best food. Bobby had one idea and one only, chicken and waffles. He would use his best dish to shock the judges. He began with the chicken. He needed to marinade the poultry in a buttermilk mixture designed to make the chicken more tender. In the fridge it went while he readied the waffles. He couldn’t find a waffle iron anywhere. He went up to a chef and asked where it was. The chef laughed and assumed he was joking. Who would make waffles right now? Bobby stood there like a state confused as to why he was laughing. The chef was shocked once he realized Bobby wasn’t joking. Did he forget who he was making food for? Bobby had no time to explain and grabbed the waffle iron and ran back to his station.

He began with the batter. Mixing the dry ingredients and whisking, ensuring there would be no clumps left. He soon had to add in the wet ingredients. This is where he started to separate his dish from a normal run of the mill diner meal. He used whipped quail egg whites. He whipped like his life depended on it, allowing air to get inside the egg whites giving the waffles a light and fluffy texture. Quail eggs were different than most people used since they were expensive. But he didn’t have a budget and he wanted the richer flavor they brought. He made sure to mix the batter until just combined. He didn’t want to over mix it. He finally added in a dash of fresh vanilla straight from the ripest vanilla beans in Madagascar. He left the batter to rest while he readied the chicken.

He used premium cuts of fresh farm raised chicken. The quality of the cut is what made the fried chicken. He dunked each piece carefully in the quail egg whites from earlier along with buttermilk. He also dunked them into the coating making sure each piece was perfect. He proceeded to dunk the chicken carefully into the oil. The oil was a stiff 350 degrees. Not one higher or lower. He fried until golden brown and topped it with some spices. He set it aside to rest before plating. He readied the waffle batter and carefully poured it into the iron. He carefully cooked the waffles until golden brown, with a golden crunch on the outside and a perfect fluffy texture on the inside. He began plating the waffles stacked with the fried chicken. This was the perfect meal. Finally he had to top with his own homemade maple syrup. It was a deep strong maple flavor with the highest grade maple you could find. The only way to describe the dish was as if it was illuminating like a treasure chest. The golden waffles glowed like coins. The chicken stood looking like precious ores.

The chefs were disappointed. Everyone was making the most traditional food. They were playing it safe with foods common at any high end restaurant. They were bored. That was until Bobby came up to present. He greeted each judge and revealed his dish. They were all shocked to see a student showing them chicken and waffles. But more than anything they were intrigued. Bobby explained how he wanted to change high dining. He wanted to combine the home style charm he grew up with, with delicate fancy techniques he learned in school.

The judges were all very curious. They all readied a bite with a perfect combination of chicken to waffle. The judges all tried the food excited to see what Bobby had done. Their eyes seemed to light up. One judge described it as a golden crunch combining with the soft interior of the waffle, combined with the savory juice of the chicken with a deep maple flavor. It was perfect in so many ways. The judges were in shock. He was the first person to be rated a 100 out of a 100. All his peers were dumbfounded. How did he get the best grade with a simple meal like chicken and waffles? The judges explained. It wasn’t about the type of food it was about the quality of ingredients and the skill of the chef. Bobby was ecstatic.

He became an overnight sensation. A young up and coming chef creating a revolution in high class cuisine. He got hired at a Michelin star restaurant. He was worried they would want him to conform to a high class style of cooking. But to his shock they didn’t want that. He was there to make his style of food. And it worked. The restaurant was more packed than ever before. Celebrities fought for reservations. Bobby had done it. He had changed fine dining. Bobby continued cooking and making a name for himself. No matter what restaurant he was at he always stayed true to himself. He always stuck to his style.