ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Is there anything more comforting than a big plate of chicken and waffles?
Chef Tony Tone doesn’t think so. He got his name because music sets the mood in his kitchen, and it gets him in the right mindset to make his famous fried chicken, a recipe he’s been perfecting for the past 15 years.
“I don’t even feel right if I don't have music going,” Blakey said.
His fried chicken is a key component to one of his favorite dishes — chicken and waffles.
“It just made me feel like I am back at home doing homework with my mom," Blakey said. "I just feel like a kid again."
By now, preparing the dish is second nature for Blakey, who went to culinary school and then moved to Orlando for the Disney Culinary Program before branching out on his own.
He has had time to develop his own version of the popular dish.
“My secret ingredient is a mustard and buttermilk mix, which I use as the marinade," Blakey said.
When the dish is ready, chef says it’s better to just dig right in instead of grabbing a fork.
“I don't want to toot my own horn, but it's top tier, top tier,” said Blakey, tasting his work.
He shared his recipe so you can make it at home. You can connect with Chef Tony Tone on his website or on his Facebook, TikTok and Instagram pages.
Ingredients
- 1 to 2 pounds of fresh chicken wings
- 2 cups of your favorite waffle mix
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup of oil
- About 4 tablespoons of seasoning salt
- About 2 tablespoons of adobo
- About 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning
- Yellow mustard
- Buttermilk
Directions
- The night before you want to serve the chicken and waffles, mix 2 tablespoons of seasoning salt, 1 tablespoon of adobe and 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning with about a cup of buttermilk in a large bowl, and add mustard to suit your taste. Make sure the ingredients are well-mixed.
- Coat the chicken wings with that mixture, ensuring all the wings are covered. Add more buttermilk if the wings aren’t well-covered, and add seasoning to taste, if necessary.
- Refrigerate and marinate the chicken wings in the buttermilk and spice mixture overnight.
- When you’re ready to prepare the dish, preheat your waffle maker, and heat the vegetable oil or fryer to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a bowl, combine enough flour to cover the chicken wings with seasoning salt, adobo and Cajun seasoning to taste, and mix well. “It not only gives it that tang, but it gives it a better crisp,” Blakey said.
- Remove the chicken wings from the marinade one by one, and roll them in the breading mixture. If they are coated well enough, you should have some of the breading mixture left when you are finished. Chef says, “Make sure it is nice and coated. I always like to shake it just to make sure."
- Then toss the batter-covered wings into the heated oil in a cast-iron skillet or a fryer. “It sounds like love,” Blakey said of the sounds the wings make when they hit the smoking-hot oil.
- While the chicken cooks, work on the waffle batter. Combine about 2 cups of your favorite waffle mix, one egg and a quarter cup of oil. Mix until smooth.
- Drop the batter into the waffle maker for a few minutes, until the waffles reach your desired consistency.
- At the same time, keep a close eye on the cooking chicken. It can be pulled from the oil when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- When everything is cooked, it’s time to build the perfect plate — stacked with the waffles, chicken and berry butter, garnished with fruit and topped with whipped cream.