Our version of chicken and waffles featured spicy chicken wings from Flaming Rooster, pecans and jalapenos from neighbors, peach and jalapeno jam from a friend and Burton's Tennessee Whiskey barrel-aged maple syrup.BARRY SAYS: Finding fresh items like tomatoes, corn or strawberries at local farmers markets, as well as new-to-us ingredients like Thai or Indian spices at some of the various ethnic markets around town were the impetus for beginning this monthly feature for the paper several years ago. We thought it would be fun to explore and to share what we found and to let people know what is available in their own backyards, so to speak.
This dish is a perfect example of that as nearly everything was locally sourced, sort of.
KELLEY SAYS: That's true. I found a vendor at the Chattanooga Market selling Tennessee Whiskey barrel-aged maple syrup and sampled it, and I immediately thought of doing chicken and waffles. It comes from Burton's Maplewood Farm, which is in Indiana and sold at the market.
BARRY: That Kelley would want to make chicken and waffles is pretty stunning because Kelley doesn't bake and she doesn't do fried chicken.
KELLEY: It's true. My mother could do both well, but I just never developed the skills for either. And I'm not into sweets, but the syrup is really good. Expensive at $35 a bottle, but it will last a good while. I also knew I had a hedge regarding the chicken as we bought the chicken wings from Flaming Rooster, which is near where we live, and they are delicious. You can get your wings from your own favorite spot.
BARRY: I ran into my friend Joan Wagner the night before we made this dish, and she mentioned she had made some peach and jalapeno jam, and that sounded perfect for the dish. She was kind enough to get me some the next morning. We also borrowed a waffle iron from my brother, because we didn't have one, and he had some pecans from a tree in his backyard and jalapenos from his garden.
KELLEY: We've made two meals for this column that never made it past the kitchen counter. The first was Squid Ink Pasta, and this became the second. Once I'd plated the chicken and waffles and we took some pictures, we both grabbed forks or used our fingers and devoured it standing where we were. Flaming Rooster has six levels of spice for their fish and chicken dishes, and be forewarned, they are no joke. We got the mild and medium.
BARRY: This was really good. Everything about it.
KELLEY: We will do it again for sure. By the way, the waffles tasted especially good the next day. They were almost like a cornbread. As Barry said, you can get your chicken from anywhere, and you can change up the extra ingredients, subtracting jalapenos if you want, for example.
Our version of chicken and waffles featured spicy chicken wings from Flaming Rooster, pecans and jalapenos from neighbors, peach and jalapeno jam from a friend and Burton's Tennessee Whiskey barrel-aged maple syrup.Chicken and Waffles
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon smoky turmeric powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup cheddar, shredded
1 jalapeno, minced
2 green onions, minced
Prepared chicken wings (purchased or homemade)
3 strips thick bacon, chopped
1/2 cup pecans, chopped and roasted
Syrup, to taste
Homemade pickles, sliced
Peach/jalapeno jam
In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and turmeric. In a separate bowl, mix egg, milk and melted butter together. Stir liquid into dry ingredients. Once blended, add the cheese and jalapeno and onion. Set waffle maker to desired heat. Once ready, ladle in mixture and cook.
Once plated, top each waffle with a couple of chicken wings and sprinkle on bacon, pecans and more onions. Drizzle syrup over the top. Serve with jam and pickles on the side.
Contact Barry and Kelley Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.