The Paula Deen racism scandal seems to have no expiration date.
Ever since the release of a deposition in which the former Food Network star acknowledged using racist epithets, controversy has swelled.
Deen had a very public breakdown on the TODAY show, companies distanced themselves from her brand, and she recently split from longtime agent Barry Weiner.
Given the fallout, it's unlikely the inventor of deep-fried lasagna will make a comeback.
Thankfully, there's a new generation of Southern chefs on the rise, and they don't need a deep fryer to make fantastic food. Sarah Simmons, an acclaimed Southern chef and founder of New York's CITY GRIT Culinary Salon, helped us find 12 promising candidates who could surpass Paula Deen's fame in the Southern cooking arena.
Jeremiah Langhorne
Restaurant:McCrady's Restaurant, Charleston, SC
Jeremiah Langhorne is the executive chef of McCrady's Restaurant in Charleston, SC — a far cry from his first job as a pizza deliveryman in Charlottesville, VA.
Inspired by the staff at that little Italian restaurant, he began cooking and even traveled to famed-restaurant Noma in Denmark to complete a two-month stage.
He describes his food at McCrady's as "modern Southern cuisine with indigenous ingredients" that he either grows or forages.
Stand Out Dish: Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps
Kelly English
Restaurant:Restaurant Iris, Memphis, TN
Kelly English traveled from New Orleans to Memphis and opened Restaurant Iris in 2008.
Since then, English has won numerous awards and accolades. He has appeared on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" as well as been a James Beard Award Semifinalist for Best Chef: Southeast in 2010.
His food is French-Creole and New Orleans-inspired, with local and seasonal ingredients.
Stand Out Dish: Sweet corn griddle cakes with crab ravigot
Ashley Christensen
Restaurant:Ashley Christensen Restaurants, Raleigh, NC
After working at Raleigh's top kitchens, Ashley opened Poole's Diner in 2007 with a chalkboard menu of comfort-food made with locally grown, seasonal ingredients.
Now six years later, she has three other ventures including Chuck's, Beasley's Chicken + Honey, and Fox Liquor Bar, all relying on Southern classics with her French technique.
In 2008, Bon Appétit named her one of its "Female Chefs of the Next Generation" and Christensen is also a three-time James Beard semi-finalist for "Best Chef: Southeast."
Stand Out Dish: Captain Andy's Paleo Burger Platter at Chuck's
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