By Brack Johnson

 

Nestled in the cozy dining rooms of The Swag and Cataloochee Ranch, sister properties in the N.C. mountains, I coveted each dish that passed my table. I got to indulge in many of the epicurean offerings. And I got to take home a taste of the mountains, too: I asked for recipes!

 

 

 

The Swag

MOLE BRAISED TURKEY NACHOS WITH AVOCADO CREMA
Tortilla chips, cut from rounds into 6 pieces, fried and seasoned with salt
Mole
Turkey thighs, cooked in stock, in slow cooker overnight
Shredded chihuahua cheese
Avocado crema

 

MOLE
2 pasilla chilies
1 chipotle chilies
1 chile de arbol
2 mulato chilies
2 ancho chilies
One 14-ounce can tomatoes
1 onion, rough chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup peanuts
1/2 cup white sesame seeds
4 corn tortillas
Dark chocolate
1/2 gallon chicken or turkey stock

 

Toast the chilies in the oven until you can smell them. Pop the stem off them and de-seed.

 

Sauté onions and garlic in canola oil until translucent. Add the chilies and the tomatoes and stock.
Toast the peanuts, sesame seeds and tortillas in the oven.

 

Cook the sauce for two hours then add the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate.

 

Blend until smooth, season with the chocolate and salt. The flavor should not be sweet but have a faint hint of the chocolate.

 

AVOCADO CREMA

6 avocadoes, peeled and de-seeded
1/3 cup lime juice
3 tsp sour cream
Salt

 

Blend avocados with lime juice in vita-prep until smooth. Add the sour cream. Season with salt and lime juice. Should not be super limey but have a hint of acid to it.

 

 

 

Take the cooked thighs and pick the meat.

 

Heat up in the mole.

 

Layer tortilla chips on a baking sheet. Add the mole turkey and cover with chihuahua cheese. Broil until melted and bubbling.

 

Transfer to a serving platter, top with the crema and enjoy.

 

 

ARROZ CON LECHE

8.3 ounces arborio rice
2 quarts whole milk
6.7 ounces granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 vanilla bean (split and scraped)
1 orange zested
10.6 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces rum-macerated raisins (Golden raisins soaked for at least an hour in 2 ounces of rum)

 

Blanch the rice in slightly salted water and drain well.

 

In a saucepan, bring the rice, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla bean to a boil. Lower to a simmer, stirring regularly until the rice is tender and most. Make sure not all the milk is absorbed. Stir in zest.

 

Chill the rice pudding over an ice bath, then remove the cinnamon stick and vanilla bean.

 

Whip the cream to soft peaks and fold into the cooled rice pudding to lighten, followed by the rum-macerated raisins.

 

 

ASPARAGUS AND RAMP GRIBICHE

1 bunch of fresh asparagus
6 fresh ramp tops, washed and chopped
1/2 cup pickled ramp bulbs
1 cup mayonnaise
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
1/2 Tbsp lusty monk mustard
1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 bunch of fresh Italian parsley, minced
1/2 cup cornichons, drained and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

 

Preheat outdoor grill to 500℉.

 

Separate asparagus tips from hard bottom by snapping them in half. Place in a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over asparagus and add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

 

Place asparagus on the grill for 1 minute. After a minute, turn the asparagus to get an even cook. Leave on for another minute. After a minute, remove from the grill and set aside.

 

In a medium-sized bowl, mix 1/2 of the parsley, egg yolks, mustard and vinegar. Mash into a paste. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the paste. Add mayonnaise, the rest of the parsley, pickled ramps and the cornichons. Mix well. Slice hard-boiled eggs vertically and horizontally until they are cubed and add to the mix.

 

Place asparagus on a plate and spoon the gribiche on top.

 

 

DULCE DE LECHE

14 ounces (1 can) sweetened condensed milk

 

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

 

Place the sweetened condensed milk in a pie plate or similar baking dish, and cover it tightly with foil. Place the covered dish in a larger pan, and pour hot water into the larger pan until it comes about 1 inch up the sides. 

 

Bake in the oven for about 2 hours, or until the desired color and thickness* are achieved. Whisk the dulce de leche to smooth out any lumps.

 

*Dulce de Leche will become even thicker as it cools.

 

 

THE SWAG BARS

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
2 cups peanut butter
6 cups Corn Flakes
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Place sugar, corn syrup and peanut butter in a 6-quart pot or  bowl to be placed on top of a double boiler. Heat mixture, stirring often, until sugars are dissolved, and mixture is fully incorporated.

 

Remove from heat. Pour over cornflakes. Mix well until there are no dry bits of cornflakes and mixture comes together.

 

Press into a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Melt chocolate chips to spread onto the top of peanut butter base.

 

TIPS:

• Chocolate can be melted in a double boiler, or at 30-second intervals in a microwave. If using a microwave, stir after every 30 seconds and watch closely. Chocolate has a low burning point and can burn easily.
• Scoring bars after chocolate is spread can make cutting the bars easier. (Once bars are fully set and cool, they can be more challenging to cut.)

 

 

CATALOOCHEE RANCH

GIDDY UP COCKTAIL

2 oz Tito’s Vodka
1 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
1 oz espresso shot
1/2 oz Vanilla Simple Syrup
3 espresso beans

 

Add all ingredients to a shaker tin filled with ice. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with espresso beans.

 

VANILLA SIMPLE SYRUP

1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
1 vanilla bean

 

Mix sugar and hot water in a bowl until sugar is dissolved. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Stir the seeds and pod into the sugar water. Let the mixture cool to room temperature, then strain (if desired) and transfer to a bottle for use.

 

 

PIMENTO CHEESE

1 lb cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
8 oz pimento, diced and drained
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp Cholula Hot Sauce
2 Tbsp pickle juice
2 Tbsp fresh chive, sliced
4 cups extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper, to taste

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the cheese. Whisk until the dressing is smooth and well blended.

 

Pour the dressing over the shredded cheddar and gently toss by hand until evenly coated.

 

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld.

 

TIP: Swap in pimento cheese for your next grilled cheese. For the best texture, spread a thin layer of mayo on the outside of the bread instead of butter, and cook low and slow. Add a slice of tomato or some crispy bacon bits to take it over the top.

 

 

RICOTTA MEATBALLS

2-1/2 lbs ground beef
4 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp chili flakes
1 Tbsp fennel seed
1 Tbsp oregano
1 small onion, finely diced
1-1/2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped
4 oz parmesan, grated
1 lb stale bread (crust removed and cubed)
1/2 lb ricotta
Milk, as needed
4-5 eggs

 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef with salt, chili flakes, fennel seed and dried oregano. Add the onion, garlic, chopped parsley and grated Parmesan. Mix by hand.

 

Place the bread cubes in a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Mix into the seasoned meat mixture. Add ricotta.
Add milk as needed to achieve a soft, moist texture. Add eggs, mixing gently by hand until just combined.

 

Form the mixture into evenly sized meatballs and place in a lightly oiled roasting pan. Roast at 400°F about 15-20 minutes, until browned all over. Remove from roasting pan, discard remaining fat, and place the meatballs in a heavy saucepot.

 

Meatballs can be braised in any combination of puréed tomatoes, wine, stock and aromatics. Cook at 300°F for 2-3 hours; allow to cool in the braising liquid.

 

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan and extra virgin olive oil

 

 

WAFFLE BATTER

4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1-1/4 cups corn starch
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
4 cups buttermilk
1-1/3 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla

 

In separate bowls, combine all dry ingredients and all wet ingredients. Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry, stirring until just combined.

 

Lightly coat waffle iron with non-stick spray. Then, ladle a 6 oz portion of the mixture into the waffle iron and cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes

 

TIP: Waffles do not hold well, and these are best enjoyed fresh and crispy.

 

 

GLUTEN-FREE ALMOND BROWNIES

1 cup gluten-free Flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
4 eggs
1- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup butter, room temperature
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds

 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat your pan with nonstick spray.

 

In a small bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour and sea salt. Set aside. In another bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla extract and almond extract. Set aside.

 

In a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth and fully melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the sugar until well combined.

 

Gradually add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture, whisking a little at a time until fully incorporated. Gently whisk in the flour mixture until smooth.

 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle sliced almonds evenly over the top.

 

Bake for 20–25 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!

 

TIP: Your favorite nut can easily substitute for the almonds and almond extract.