Now that spring has arrived and the sap from sugaring season is flowing like never before, one could argue that there has never been a better time to put Canada’s quintessential ingredient to use in a multitude of maple-inspired recipes.

One such recipe we’ve recently discovered comes courtesy of the Eat With Us cookbook from author-blogger duo Philip Lago and Mystique Mattai, which just hit book store shelves this week.

The combination of maple syrup with spicy ingredients like chili peppers provides a perfect balance of sweet and savoury while enhancing the dining experience for the whole family by way of a satisfyingly crispy finish.

"The success of our Hot Maple Crackling Chicken Thighs lies in a very simple but important cooking technique involving a cold pan and rendered fat, which results in the crispiest skin ever. Aside from the crackle, what we love about this dish is the sweet and spicy sauce that comes from bathing chili peppers in maple syrup. Simple to make and sticky to the touch, we guarantee you’ll be using this technique far beyond this recipe," says Lago and Mattai in the introduction to this recipe.