The menu items in this post were provided by Cracker Barrel
but the opinions expressed here are my own.
After spending a couple of days in
New Orleans, we headed back to our hotel in Pensacola to spend our last evening
where we called home for the last week. It was time to start packing up all the
kitchen equipment, cooking utensils, and leftover ingredients for the road trip
back to Orange County, CA. It was also the last night for my mom as well since
she would be boarding the first flight out the next morning. One place on her
foodie bucket list was Cracker Barrel and that’s where we were having dinner.
The location in Pensacola was a short drive on the I-10 and conveniently
located right off the freeway.
Chicken Fried Chicken is a generous portion of deep-fried
chicken breast fillet topped with Sawmill Gravy and served with your choice of
three Country Vegetables n’ Sides plus complimentary hand-rolled Buttermilk
Biscuits or Corn Muffins. The hubby went with whole kernel corn, country green beans,
and cole slaw. The chicken fried chicken had a crispy, blistered outside and
juicy chicken breast inside. The Sawmill Gravy was a creamy and thick, stick-to-your-ribs
type of gravy. The corn was sweet. The green beans were a little over cooked
but had a nice flavor. The cole slaw was crisp and had a nice creamy, slightly
sweet dressing. Rating: 4.8/5
Country Fried Steak is a generous portion of USDA Choice
steak breaded, deep fried, topped with Sawmill Gravy and served with your
choice of three Country Vegetables n’ Sides plus complimentary hand-rolled
Buttermilk Biscuits or Corn Muffins. I went with mashed potatoes, fresh steamed
broccoli, and brussels sprouts n’ kale salad. The country fried steak was
perfect with a crispy, blistered outside and juicy steak inside. The mashed
potatoes were a perfect side. The broccoli was steamed just right, still a
little crisp on the stalk and tender florets. The brussels sprouts n’ kale
salad was refreshing with the crisp, raw brussels sprouts and kale along with
the sweet dressing, sort of like a slaw. Rating: 5/5
Fried Chicken Livers is served with your choice of two Country
Vegetables n’ Sides plus complimentary hand-rolled Buttermilk Biscuits or Corn
Muffins. Mom went with whole kernel corn and cole slaw. The chicken livers were
crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside. The crispy outside
contrasted with the soft texture inside and the faintly irony flavor pairs well
with the batter on the outside. If you love liver like my mom and I do, you must
try this dish! Rating: 5/5
If you love country cooking, you’ll love Cracker Barrel. Now,
my mom can say she’s been to a Cracker Barrel and she can’t wait to go back!
The menu items in this post were provided by Luna’s Eat
& Drink but the opinions expressed here are my own.
After the adrenaline pumping World Recipe Championship Top 10 Round
at The Wharf, it was time to get off our
feet and refuel ourselves with some delicious pub grub. Luna’s Eat & Drink
is a neighborhood sports pub (fitting since we just competed in food sport). Executive
Chef Bart Wilson has created a hand-crafted menu that delivers southern classics
and low country food to a broader audience. Luna’s ambiance has a welcoming
feel that is great for kicking back and watching a game or just enjoying a
relaxing meal with family and friends.
Marinated Gulf Shrimp Salad is shrimp served low country
style with lemon and spices over crisp greens and topped with fried onions. The
gulf shrimp had a meaty texture like lobster and had such a great flavor. The
shrimp we normally get on the west coast pales in comparison. The lemon and
spices added a nice zing and paired well with the salad greens. The fried
onions were like “croutons” and added a crispy texture to the dish. Rating: 4.5/5
Crab Claws are fresh Gulf blue crab claws lightly floured
and fried. If you love crab, you’ll love these. The lightly fried exterior
contrasted nicely with the sweet crab meat inside. They are very easy to eat,
just like eating artichoke leaves. This would be a great appetizer to share
with friends while watching a game and some pints of ice cold beer. Rating: 5/5
BBQ Gulf Oysters are lightly breaded and fried Gulf oysters
served over Creole BBQ cream sauce and topped with crisp bacon and chives. The
breading on the outside was like a perfectly fried chicken or chicken fried
steak, bumpy, crispy coating with amazing flavor. The oyster itself was juicy
and cooked just right where there was still a bit of briny oyster liqueur
inside. The creole BBQ cream sauce added a creamy yet spicy kick to the dish. I
could eat this forever! Rating: 5/5
Cola Braised Pork Belly is served over house-made cornbread
and topped with white BBQ sauce and red cabbage slaw. The cola helped tenderize
the pork and caramelized on the outside for a nice bark. White BBQ sauce was
introduced in Decatur, AL by Big Bob Gibson
back in 1925. As this was my first time having it, I have to say it was a
little different but gave the pork belly a nice tangy flavor. The slaw on top
added a crunchy texture. Rating: 4.5/5
The Beerger is a beer-basted burger on a sweet sourdough bun
with Luna’s beer mustard, fried onions, and Luna’s beer cheese. The perfect
gastropub burger! The burger patty itself is huge! The mustard added a tangy
flavor. The beer cheese was luscious with cheesy and hoppy flavor from the
beer. All you need is an ice-cold beer to pair with it! Rating: 4.5/5
If you’re a local or visiting, Luna’s Eat & Drink is the
perfect place to grab grub with food that everyone will love.
This
post was sponsored by Johnsonville, Melissa’s Produce, Papa’s Pilar Rum, and Liquidiamond
but the opinions expressed here are my own.
This
was the first day of our trip that I could sleep in. I had been getting up
every morning at 4 a.m. to work on projects for a client. This was a working
vacation but it pretty much always is when you work in the media. Today, we
were able to try the breakfast at our hotel, Home2Suites, in Pensacola, FL.
After a warm and filling breakfast, it was time to start packing up the car
with our cooking equipment/tools and ingredients and head to The
Wharf in Orange Beach for the World Recipe Championship
Top 10 Round. I am still in shock that I made it into the Top 10!
The World Recipe Championship
was presented by Springer
Mountain Farms
and the Top 10 Round required an infused ingredient from TheJelly Queens. The choices were Black Garlic
Rosemary Sauce, Sassy Apple Fig
Jam, Cabernet Jelly, Tomato Basil Jam, and Six Pepper Jelly. The dish also
needed to include Springer Mountain Farms chicken. The choice cuts were
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, wings, drumsticks, and boneless chicken breast.
We used The Jelly Queens’ Sassy Apple Fig Jam and Springer Mountain Farms’
boneless chicken breast.
I’d like to give a
big thank you to my sponsors: Johnsonville, Melissa’s
Produce,
Papa’s Pilar Rum, and Liquidiamond. I also want to
thank The Jelly Queens for sending out jams/jellies to us to play with prior to
the competition and Président who supplied me
with a quarter of a wheel of brie for this recipe.
Since they
assigned our kitchens by our place in the Opening Round, I was so happy to be
next to my friend, Lisa Keys. Since Rebecka
Evans received 1st place in the
Bacon World Championship, I really wanted Lisa to take 1st Place in
the World Recipe Championship for Team Saucy Mama. I just love
those gals!
My mom and I only
had a couple of chances to play around with this recipe at home. With a final
dish only in visual in my mind, we were going to give it our best and see what
the judges think. Mom was still nervous, but she was ready to give it all she
had.
Mom was focused on
making the donut batter. Yes, that’s right, donuts!
I was focused on
battering, coating, and frying up chicken breast fillets in Crisco, y’all!
Mom finished the
donut batter and filled up the Wilton donut pans.
We had a crowd
forming around us. My friend, Chef Susanne Duplantis of Makeover
My Leftover, was my cheerleader! Her food blog
focuses on reducing food waste with creative uses for leftovers. I am always amazed
on what she does with leftovers and remaking into new delicious dishes. Suzie Barhyte, Saucy Mama, was also there cheering on Lisa Keys, my Mama Keys.
Mom slicing up the
brie for our sliders.
Mom slicing up gala
and granny smith apples for the presentation.
Making the compote
for the slider with The Jelly Queens’ Sassy Apple Fig Jam and Papa’s Pilar Dark
Rum.
Using a torch I
received from our blogger summit last year to bruleé the tops of each of the
sliders.
My entry, Apple
Fig Donut Clucker, came together as best as we could manage. The donuts didn’t cook
evenly in the oven, so some were more golden brown that others. The donuts
needed a little bit more apple filling or jam to bring out more flavor and sweetness.
I forgot to season my flour dredge but managed to season the chicken right
after coming out of the oil. I also bought the wrong grind of sugar so my bruleé
wasn’t coming out like it did at home. My mom was also nervous and reversed the
fan of the apples. We also used the green apple for the top instead of the red.
Overall, the “clucker” slider looked like I had imagined it. It totally looked
like it was about to “fly” off the plates. E.A.T. Score: 88.3333 out of 100. Try
the recipe below and see what you think:
Apple Fig Donut
Clucker
Makes 15 servings
Apple Fig Donut
Clucker is a playful spin on a chicken slider starting with an apple fig quick
donut bun, double-dipped crispy fried buttermilk chicken fillet, brie cheese,
apple fig rum compote, and bruleé top.
½ stick Challenge
European Unsalted Butter, melted
Preheat
oven to 325°F.
Heat
cast iron skillet with vegetable shortening to medium heat.
In
a large bowl, whisk together Bisquick and sugar. Set aside.
In
a medium bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, eggs, vanilla extract, apple
pie filling, and apple fig jam.
Add
liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk to combine.
Lightly
spray donut pans with non-stick cooking spray and pour batter in ¾ full.
Bake
15 minutes until golden brown. Test with toothpick to make sure each donut is
cooked all the way through. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
Turn
oven down to 200°F.
For
compote: Heat a small sauce pan over low heat and add 1 cup apple fig jam, butter,
and brown sugar. Once incorporated, add dark rum and ignite. When alcohol is
burned off, cook until thickened.
Cut
chicken breasts in half (thickness wise). Pound each piece until ¼ inch thickness
to tenderize. Cut each piece into quarters (if breasts are small, cut into
halves). Place into buttermilk and marinate for 15 minutes.
For
dredging: Combine Bisquick and Oaky Smoky Seasoning in a shallow pan. Place
panko bread crumbs in a shallow pan. Whisk eggs in shallow pan. Set aside.
Remove
chicken from buttermilk and dredge in Bisquick mixture. Dredge in egg. Dredge
in panko bread crumbs. Place chicken in cast iron skillet and fry for 3 minutes.
Turn over and fry another 3 minutes. Place on paper towel-lined baking sheet to
drain.
Remove
donuts from pans and cool on racks.
Slice
brie into ¼” slices. Cut each slice in half so it will fit on top of the
chicken fillet, about 3-4 inches long.
When
the chicken is done, place slices of brie in an “X” on top of each fillet.
Place in oven to melt cheese.
Thinly
slice 4 apples with mandolin. Spray apples with lemon juice. Alternate slices
red and green in a fan effect along the outer edge of a plate/platter. Plastic
wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Slice
1 red apple about ¼” thick for top garnish. Spray with lemon juice. Cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For
garnish: Melt butter and set aside. Dunk/brush the top of 15 donuts with melted
butter. Dunk each donut butter side down into sugar. Place on rack and bruleé
the top of each donut. These will be used as the top donut for each slider.
Assembling
cluckers: Layer donut, chicken with melted brie, compote, bruleé donut, thick
slice of red apple poking out of the top donut (resembling a chicken
head/neck), and mint leaves on either side of the apple slice (resembling chicken
wings). Place on fanned apple platter and serve.
Overall, I placed
5th and am just so proud that we made it so far. Not bad for my
first time competing at the World Food Championships! Lisa Keys placed 2nd
for another awesome finish for Team Saucy Mama!
Congratulations to
Mike Callaghan of Canadian National
BBQ Team for his 1st place win in the
World Recipe Championship! Can’t wait to see what you will be serving at the
Final Table!
