Maple-brined and smoked fried chicken

I love the flavour combination that comes from smoke and maple, so I brine the chicken in a maple-salt brine before smoking. Not only does this infuse the chicken with a subtly sweet flavour, it also gives it extra juiciness. We serve ours on a buttermilk waffle garnished with freshly shaved maple sugar cube and orange slices. You know, because maple-brined smoked fried chicken isn’t rich enough as it is. I never said this was a diet blog.