Waffles with bacon and chicken

Ingredients:

For waffles:

• 16 slices of bacon
• 4 cups baking flour
• 2 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 eggs and 1 egg white
• 3 cups buttermilk or low-fat kefir, maybe a little more
• 110 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• Special spray for lubrication

For the chicken:

• 900 g skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into 4 cm wide strips
• 3 cups peanut or vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/4 tsp red cayenne pepper
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp. flour
• Maple syrup for serving

Preparation:

1. Prepare the bacon: Cut 10 slices of bacon into cubes. Render the fat in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is golden and crispy. Pat dry with paper towels.
   
   Add the remaining 6 slices of bacon to the same skillet and render the fat for 9-11 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown. The slices should be crispy. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Leave the rendered fat in the skillet.
2. Prepare the waffle batter: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter, then whisk into the flour mixture until smooth.
   
   Stir in the fried bacon cubes. Pour two cups of the resulting batter into a separate bowl and set aside for the chicken. Use the remaining batter for the waffles.
3. Add peanut oil to the bacon drippings in a skillet and heat over high heat to 350°F (175°C). Add thyme, paprika, and cayenne pepper to the 2 cups of batter.
   
   If the batter is too thick, thin it with 2 tablespoons of buttermilk. Season the chicken with salt and black pepper and dredge it in flour. Place the chicken in the batter and set aside.
4. Prepare the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (160 degrees Celsius). Place a rack over a baking sheet. Remove the chicken from the batter in small batches, letting any excess drip off. Fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Transfer to a rack over a baking sheet and season with salt. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes, or until cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, prepare the waffles: Grease a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat it. Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold into the remaining waffle batter to create fluffy batter.
   
   For each waffle, pour 1/2-1 cup of batter into the waffle iron and cook according to the manufacturer's instructions.
   
   Serve waffles for breakfast with fried chicken in batter, bacon slices and maple syrup.