Over my many years as a personal chef in the Washington, DC, area, I get many interesting requests for particular dishes.  Sometimes the client wants a common dish with a particular twist, or sometimes it’s a request for something I’ve never prepared.  Recently, I catered a party for 30 people in Ashburn, VA, and the client asked for chicken and waffles.  Chicken and waffles is a fairly “new” dish that’s becoming increasingly popular, and there are many different preparations.  In much of the nation, it’s a sweet dish traditionally served with maple syrup.  In Pennsylvania Dutch country, it’s a savory dish served with a white sauce.

As any good personal chef would do, I took to Facebook to ask my friends and family throughout the nation what they’ve experienced.  As one would expect, everyone had a slightly different take on how chicken and waffles should be prepared.  Maple syrup or savory white sauce or something else?  My friend Allyson suggested an excellent compromise – a sauce made with maple syrup, cream, and butter.  Brilliant!  During preparation, I tweaked the proportions of these three simple ingredients to get the perfect taste and consistency.  The dish turned out to be a big hit at the party, and I realized I had the perfect recipe for chicken and waffles.  This just proves once again that you never stop learning as a personal chef, and you’re always adding new dishes to your repertoire.  If you’re interested in the complete recipe, which includes the preparation of the chicken, please contact me and I’ll send it to you.