The Chef's Academy Students' Original Dishes to be Served at Firewürst

The Chef's Academy, the Culinary Division of Harrison College, a 110-year-old, private sector college serving more than 4,000 students worldwide, has announced that two of the intuition's culinary students will have their original creations served on the menu of one of the Triangle's newest fast-casual restaurants. Chris Daniels and Rance Slabaugh, culinary arts students of The Chef's Academy, recently won first place in a food competition sponsored by Firewürst restaurant, a locally sourced flame-grilled sausage and hot dog restaurant with locations in Cary and Brier Creek. In addition to getting their dishes featured on the menu, Daniels and Slabaugh also received a $350 prize, embroidered chef's jackets and high quality knife kits, all provided by Firewürst.

Eight teams of students participated in the live-action competition to create their idea of the perfect gourmet hot dog and savory sausage. Competitors raced against the clock to craft complex flavor profiles and unusual combinations. Students utilized innovative culinary techniques, including stuffing hot dogs with jalapenos, wrapping sausage links in bacon, and injecting beer into the center of sausages. Each dish was then evaluated by judges Chas Morgenstern of Firewürst, Chef Ryan Payne of The Weathervane at Southern Season and Kathy Hanrahan of WRAL Out & About.

Firewürst's owners intend to offer many of The Chef's Academy students a place on the menu to showcase a range of the best dishes created. The top three winning teams and their dishes are as follows:

First Place: Chris Daniels and Rance Slabaugh
A Yuengling-infused bratwurst and pickled coleslaw with a cheddar mustard sauce won the judges over for first place. Daniels' and Slabaugh's gourmet hot dog, came stuffed with red onion jam, wrapped in bacon and topped with a mustard cheese sauce. The delicious combo with a welcoming sweetness from the jam and a hint of spice from the sauce earned it top honors from the judges.

Second Place Winners: Sekayi Brown and Jean Doura
The second place gourmet hot dog, the "Spicy Brooklyn," was a deep-fried beer-battered spicy dog. Brown and Doura caught the judges' attention with the "Fully Loaded" sensational sausage topped with a selection of breakfast items, an idea that intrigued Firewürst's owners.

Third Place Winners: Jessica Locke and Theresa McNair
Locke and McNair created a mouthwatering hot dog topped with creamy mac and cheese, hearty homemade chili and crunchy bacon bits. Their sausage sandwich incorporated an apple-spiced pepper trio, a deliciously sweet flavor combination perfect for the fall season.

Quotes:
"We are so proud of all the hard work our students put in to creating the dishes for the Firewürst competition," said Chef Jeffrey Bane, North Carolina campus president and national dean at The Chef's Academy. "Each team brought a unique idea that wowed the judges, and we are proud to have our students' recipes included on Firewürst's menu."

"We could not be more pleased with the dishes The Chef's Academy students produced," said Bill Morgenstern, CEO, Firewürst. "The winning dishes incorporated the gourmet sausage and dog style Firewürst is known for and brought new creative ideas that our customers will surely enjoy."

New Media Content:
The N.C. Chef's Academy Twitter:
https://twitter.com/NCChefsAcademy

The N.C. Chef's Academy Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/TheChefsAcademy.NC

The Chef's Academy Blog:
http://thechefsacademy.blogspot.com/

The Chef's Academy YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/thechefsacademy

The Chef's Academy Pinterest:
http://pinterest.com/thechefsacademy/

About Firewürst:
Firewürst is a new fast-casual restaurant concept headquartered in Cary, N.C., featuring gourmet sausages and sandwiches. Firewürst currently operates in The Shoppes of Kildaire in Cary and in the Brier Creek Shopping Center in Raleigh, N.C. A third Firewürst location recently opened November next to the new Bass Pro Shop in Cary on Harrison Road. The company expects to begin franchising early 2014. For more information, visit Firewürst at http://www.firewurst.com.

About The Chef's Academy:
The Chef's Academy is the Culinary Division of Harrison College, a 110-year-old, nationally accredited institution that offers more than 40 degree programs in five schools of study. More than 5,000 students altogether are enrolled at Harrison College's 12 campuses, its online division and The Chef's Academy. Headquartered in Indianapolis, The Chef's Academy opened a second academy on a 4.37-acre campus in North Carolina's Triangle in August 2011. At The Chef's Academy, students become prepared and marketable graduates entering the fields of culinary arts, pastry arts, and hospitality and restaurant management through classroom and experiential instruction that sets up expectations for the real-life industry. The college's culinary division provides an environment that fosters students' passion for culinary arts and hospitality, and a curriculum developed by the most qualified instructors and leaders in the market. The Chef's Academy is endorsed and accredited by the American Culinary Federation (ACF). For more information about The Chef's Academy, visit http://www.thechefsacademy.com.

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