A very good night for Frog’s Leap Public House

Frog’s Leap Public House in downtown Waynesville, N.C., took top honors at the 2013 Mélangé of the Mountains culinary competition with first place awards in the salad, seafood, and dessert categories, as well as overall Culinary Excellence. Frog’s Leap is chef Kaighn B. Raymond’s first solo restaurant—he and wife, Toni, relocated to Waynesville after 20 years of running fine dining establishments in Georgia, Tennessee, and beyond. 

Chef Kaighn shares his winning recipe for Fried Green Tomato “Sandwiches.”

Corn Flour Mix

• 1 lb self-rising corn flour
• 4 oz. corn starch
• 2 tbsp corn meal
• 2 tbsp granulated onion
• 2 tbsp granulated garlic
• 4 tbsp blackening spice
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp ground black pepper

Combine all and mix well. 

Pimiento Cheese

• 1 lb cream cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise (Duke’s or Hellman’s) 
• 1 lb smoked white cheddar, shredded 
• ¾ lb yellow cheddar, shredded
• 1 lb piquillo peppers or roasted red peppers
• 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
• 2 tsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp Tabasco
• 1 tsp garlic, granulated
• 1 tsp onion, granulated
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 
• ½ tsp smoked salt
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 

1 tsp smoked paprika (sweet or hot)

Warm cream cheese to room temperature. Combine all ingredients except cheddars and mix well. Carefully fold in cheddars. 

Piquillo-Tabasco Sauce

• ½ pound salted butter, softened
• ¼ yellow onion, rough chopped
• 2 cups minced, roasted piquillo peppers, or roasted red
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp Tabasco, or more
• 1 tbsp oil, canola/olive blend

Heat a small sauce pan and add oil, heat to smoke point. Add onions, cook for 2 minutes, reduce heat if necessary. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds. Do not burn. Add peppers, cook until hot. Add vinegar, cook 1 minute, remove from heat. Place mixture in blender while hot. Add all ingredients except butter, put top on blender and turn on. While running add butter in small pieces, work quickly. Check seasoning, add sugar if you want it sweeter. Use at room temperature. 

Parmesan Grit Cake

• 4 cups Logan Turnpike grits 
• ½ gallon whole milk 
• ¼ gallon water
• ½ lb butter
• 1 cup cream
• 1/8 cup salt
• 2 tsp white pepper
• 1 cup grated parmesan

Rinse Grits. Place in medium sauce pot with milk and water. Cook on low heat until the grits soak up most of liquid, at least an hour. Stir often. Add cream, butter, salt and pepper, mix in well. Cook until grits become soft and begins to thicken like oatmeal. Remove from heat, add parmesan. While very hot pour into ½ sheet pan, spread with spatula. Place a sheet of parchment on top. Smooth top using a second ½ sheet pan, refrigerate until set completely. Cut into squares and sear in very hot saute pan with additional oil. 

Baby Arugula Salad

French Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup Sherry vinegar 
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar 
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 
• 2 tsp garlic
• 2 tsp shallot
• 1 ½ cups canola/olive oil blend
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp water

Combine all but oil in blender, blend. Slowly add oil while running to emulsify. 

Technique

Following are directions for assembling and plating FLPH’s Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches. It is advised that each component of the recipe be prepared prior to assembly.

• Slice Green Tomatoes ¼ inch thick. Soak in Buttermilk. Heat frying oil to 350. Coat tomatoes with corn flour mix very well, let sit in mix for a few minutes. 
• Fry tomatoes until golden brown, if breading is not sticking, coat them in plain cornstarch then buttermilk again before flour mix. Place 1 tbsp (or more) pimiento cheese on a slice of fried tomato and cover with another slice of fried tomato, use skewers to keep together.  
• Place grit cake on plate, place piquillo-Tabasco sauce as desired on plate. Place two “sandwiches” leaning on grit cake. 
• Dress arugula and place between sandwiches on grit cake. Garnish with shaved Parmesan and green onions.

44 Church St., Waynesville, N.C. frogsleappublichouse.com or 828.456.1930.