Battle Crab: Fire in the Triad Semifinals

Please follow me on twitter @niksnacks and the hashtag #CompDiningNC for live updates during the FINAL FIRE IN THE TRIAD battle on Tuesday, September 25 (dinner begins at 7pm).

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Chef Michael Harkenreader of Undercurrent in Greensboro and Chef John Milner of Milner's in Winston-Salem met to see who would join Chef George Neal of 1618 West in the Fire in the Triad Final.

To quote Brian Clarey, editor of Yes Weekly and former Fire in the Triad judge,

"Two chefs enter, and one chef leaves, like Thunderdome, but with white linen and a wine list."

Garland Fulcher Seafood Company of Oriental, NC provided tonight's secret ingredient. In business for over 70 years, this business operates with a mere 40 employees and provides flounder, scallops, oysters, snow crab leg, soft-shell crab, shrimp and more to retailers in the Southeast.

The night's secret ingredient...

Course 1
Seafood Sausage, Jumbo Lump Crab Snow Pea Bacon Salad, Basil-Brown Sugar Mustard

Presented by Chef Harkenreader, this was the first time I've ever had seafood sausage. I'd seen it on Top Chef Miami, but this sausage was more glorious than I ever could have imagined. Stuffed in a sausage casing, the sausage was delicious and matched perfectly the snow pea salad. The smoky bits of bacon in the salad married with the basil-brown sugar mustard. Tangy and sharp, it was a complete contrast to the creaminess of the lump crab and sausage. I thought about this sausage all night. 

Not my favorite course of the night, I tried taking multiple photos of it to make it look more appetizing (and I failed). And my nemesis, beets, were back.

Veal eye round on the menu made promise of a tender cut of beef, pleasantly pink and perfectly prepared. The veal was indeed pink, but the only part of the dish that I liked. My beets soaked into everything on the dish and like a petulant child, I refused to eat much of the plate. BUT--I loved the brandade (a mixture of potatoes and crab in a croquette form [no breadcrumbs though]) and the sauce gribiche (just like tartar sauce with the addition of capers and hard-boiled egg).

Course 4
Sauteed Crabcake, Manchester Farm Quail, Roasted Baby Squash, Raspberry Mustard, Chive Mousseline

Due to technical difficulties, this course was completely finished by the time we were told the components of it. The first quail of the competition that was not overcooked, I enjoyed the seared, juicy breasts swirled in the tart raspberry mustard and the elegant chive mousseline (Mousseline is a hollandaise with the addition of whipped cream; That is, heavy cream that is whipped, not Cool Whip. The roasted squash (zucchini and pattypan squash) here were well-prepared and better than in the last course and the star of this dish. The sauteed crabcake was classic and I ate it before I could really savor it.

Course 5
Popcorn Crab Fritter, Chocolate Sponge Cake, Roasted White Chocolate Mousse, Pecan Buttercream, Toasted Meringue

Photo courtesy: NikSnacks

I am allergic to pecans and the aroma filled the room so I had to sit in the lobby of the The Painted Plate while this course was being enjoyed by everyone else. The promise of roasted white chocolate mousse made be reenter and ask the diners at my table about this dish.

I flipped off the top layer of pecan buttercream, meringue dish and crab popcorn balls to reveal the white chocolate mousse and chocolate sponge cake. Sweet, deep and rich in flavor, the mousse was the star of the dish. The crab balls seemed to be crusted in grits and did not have much flavor. After I salted them and dipped them in the mousse, all was right with the world and I fell under Chef Harkenreader's spell. The highest scoring dish of the night, it was the most creative and visually appealing.

Course 6
Little Crab and Ashe County Cheese “Cake”, Apple Relish, Cayenne-Kiwi Sorbet