The Cast Iron Chef's Spicy Chicken & Cinnamon Sugar Waffles topped with Fireball Whisky Maple Syrup

You can never go wrong with chicken and waffles. It's the perfect marriage of breakfast and dinner. This recipe is inspired by my two favorite Chicken and Waffles spots that I have eaten at over the years; Dames Chicken & Waffles (North Carolina) and Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles (Georgia). This recipe is a different option to my Regular Chicken and Waffles with a Maple Pecan Bourbon Syrup found in the Boozy Brunches Section. You can check that one out if you don't want the heat!

Chicken Wing Ingredients

(Serves 4 people, 3 wings each)

Meat & Protein

12 Whole Chicken Wings

Produce

1 tbsp. Freshly Chopped Chives

Baking & Spices

2 ½ cups All Purpose Flour

2 ½ tbsp Salt (more, if desired)

2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper (more, if desired)

3 tbsp Garlic Powder

1 ½ tbsp Cayenne Pepper

3 tbsp Paprika

3 tbsp Dried Basil

Dried Chives for decor

Oils & Vinegars

1 Vegetable Oil

1 tsp of Butter

Condiments

1 Cup Buffalo Sauce

1 tbsp Sriracha

Optional: Yellow Bird Blue Agave Sriracha Sauce (The link is here.)

Oils and Vinegars

1 Quart Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil for frying

Chicken Wing Directions

Wash Chicken Wings.
Place the Chicken Wings in a large Ziploc bag or bowl. Pour the Buffalo Sauce, and Sriracha on top. Close the bag and massage the chicken. Let sit in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes prior to cooking.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or large pot to 375 degrees. To check your oil temperature. Drop a little bit of flour in. If it sizzles then the oil is ready to use.
Pour the All Purpose in a Large Bowl. Add in 2 ½ tbsp Salt (more, if desired), 2 tbsp of Cracked Black Pepper, 3 tbsp of Garlic Powder, 1 ½ of Cayenne Pepper, 3 tbsp of Paprika, 3 tbsp of Dried Basil. Mix together.
Before coating the chicken, add about 2 tbsp of the wet mixture (that the chicken was soaking in) to the flour and stir. It should make the flour slightly clumpy.
Coat each soaked chicken wing in the flour mixture being careful NOT to shake off any sauce. This is what makes it crunchy. As you coat more and more chicken, you will see more clumps of flour start to appear. Use those clumps to also coat the chicken. (Tip: I like to lightly pat the flour on the tender to make sure its fully coated.)
Fry the coated chicken wings for about 10-12 minutes. (Tip: I usually cook mine a little longer because I like them extra crispy.) The chicken will start to float once they are done. Don't overcrowd your fryer. (Tip: For smaller fryer, only 4-5 tenders should be cooked at one time.)
Drain the cooked chicken on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

Waffle Ingredients

(Serves 4-6 people)

Meat & Protein

2 Eggs, large

1 Egg White

Baking & Spices

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking Soda

½ tsp Ground Cinnamon

½ tsp Salt

¼ cup White Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Oils & Vinegars

¼ Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil

Canola Oil Spray

Dairy

1 ¼ - 1 ½ Cup Almond Milk

¼ Cup Butter, melted

Waffle Directions

Heat your waffle iron to the setting you feel comfortable with. I like to place mine on 6 for a crisper outside.
In a large bowl, combine 2 Cups All Purpose Flour, 2 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Baking Soda, ½ tsp Salt, and ½ Ground Cinnamon. Blend with a whisk.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 large Eggs, 1 Egg White, 1/4 cup White Sugar, 1 ¼ Cup Almond Milk, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, ¼ Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil and ¼ Cup Melted Butter.
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Mix together with a whisk. Tip: Be careful not to over mix. You want the mixture to be thick but still pourable. If the mixture is too thick, you can always add more Almond Milk.
Spray your waffle iron with Canola Cooking Spray. Make the waffles according to your waffle iron instructions. Tip: I like to put my waffle iron setting on 6 (slightly dark) for a crisper outside.
Remove the waffle and serve immediately.

Fireball Whisky Maple Syrup Ingredients

(Serves 4 people)

Produce

1/2 Orange, Juiced

Baking & Spices

½ tsp. Cinnamon

½ tsp. Sugar

Dairy

1 tbsp. Butter

Condiments

¾ Cup Maple Syrup

Alcohol

¼ Cup Fireball Whisky

Fireball Whisky Maple Syrup Ingredients

Add the Fireball Whiskey into a small sauce pan. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the Maple Syrup, Butter, Cinnamon, Sugar, and ½ Orange juiced . Stir and let simmer on low heat or use a stove warmer.

Assemble the dish by placing the waffle first, 2-3 chicken wings, and top with the syrup. Before serving add the Dried Chopped Chives for color. If you have it, you can top evertithing off with YellowBird’s Blue Agave Sriracha Sauce.

Now you have something cooked from the SOUL. Serve it to the CULTURE!