Ingredients

• Butter or nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the waffle iron
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 8 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) smoked blue cheese crumbles or blue cheese of your choice, crumbled
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground mustard
• 2 teaspoons granulated onion
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 quart (4 cups) buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground celery seed
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Oil, for frying
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• Buffalo Whiskey Sauce, recipe follows
• Sweet pickle chips, for garnish
• Chopped scallions, for garnish
• 1/2 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's Red Hot
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
• 3 shots (4 1/2 ounces) bourbon whiskey
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons tamari
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Instructions

1. Special equipment: a deep-frying thermometer; a waffle iron
2. For the waffles: Preheat a waffle iron and keep a little melted butter or cooking spray on hand to grease it.
3. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the buttermilk and eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir in the blue cheese crumbles. Set the batter aside.
4. For the seasoning flour: Mix together the flour, paprika, salt, cumin, mustard, granulated onion, black pepper, cayenne and baking soda, and divide between 2 plates or shallow bowls.
5. For the brine: Mix together the buttermilk, hot sauce, salt, celery seed, paprika and pepper, and divide between 2 plates or shallow bowls.
6. For the fried chicken: Set a rack into a baking sheet. Heat a few inches of oil in a Dutch oven or deep-fryer to 365 degrees F. Coat the chicken in the brine, then the flour, then the brine and flour a second time; shake off excess and place on the rack.
7. Grease the waffle iron. Add the batter and cook on high until deep golden. Cut into 4 waffles. Repeat until the batter is finished.
8. Fry the chicken in batches, stirring occasionally, until deep golden and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
9. Top the waffles with 2 pieces of chicken and some Buffalo Whiskey Sauce. Garnish with a few pickle chips and some scallions.
10. In a small pot, melt together the hot sauce, maple syrup, whiskey, butter, tamari, Worcestershire and garlic. Simmer to thicken, then remove from the heat.