Florida's Chefs Compete in Georgia
Emerald Grande at HarborWalk Village's Executive Chef, Jimmy McManus, cooked up a winning entree using a mystery box of ingredients, one cast iron skillet and one burner.
McManus competed in the "Cast Iron Chef" cook-off during the 3rd Annual Brooks County Skillet Festival in Quitman, GA. on October 19th, 2013. The cook-off was a battle between three chefs from Florida: Chef Tim Creehan, Chef Daven Wardynski and Chef Jimmy McManus and three from Georgia who competed in heats to win the judge's favor. A winner was picked from each round with one state being declared the overall winner. A panel of three judges tasted and scored each heat and judged on the basis of taste, the chef's verbal presentation, creativity and use of the ingredients. The mystery box showcased ingredients sourced from Brooks County and the surrounding 150-mile area. The ingredients were salty for the first heat, savory for the second and sweet for the final heat.
Chef McManus competed in the second heat in which he had one hour to create a dish that would beat his competitor, Chef Keira Moritz, chef and owner of Steel Magnolias in Valdosta, GA. Chef McManus crafted a savory pork chop using his mystery ingredients of pecans, flowers, honey, apple cider vinegar, thyme, basil, Greenville peppers, maple, turnips, chorizo and cream sauce. The pork chop and the presentation by Chef McManus won over the judges and he was declared the winner of his heat. "It was an absolute honor and challenge to compete with these accomplished chefs," said McManus.
Georgia was declared the winner over Florida; and $500.00 dollars was awarded to Second Harvest of Brooks County, GA. "But, I think we proved how creative talented chefs can be when working with local foods, and that was the real point. Georgia and Florida are well matched in talent when it comes to cooking with local foodstuffs," said Lauren A. Basford, founder and organizer of the Skillet Festival. Chef McManus returned to Destin with a new cast iron skillet and a new award winning recipe.
