Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, Nashville’s Signature Dish, is the finishing touch
to Chef Michael Symon’s Paella Perfection at the Red Bud Demo for the
Music City Food + Wine Festival in Nashville 2014
Paella, the most vibrant rice dish of Spain, is making its way front and center in the culinary scene all across America. Chef Michael Symon demonstrated how to make a authentic Seafood Paella with a a touch of Nashville’s regional cuisine.
Hattie B’s Executive Chef John Lasater and friend, joins Chef Michael on stage to bring his favorite Nashville dish to add in the paella.
Paella is a communal dish shared by friends and family in Spain. Cooking paella is a celebration of friendship, family events and love.
Cooking is all about using your hands as tools as Chef Michael demonstrates by crushing fresh tomatoes for the sofrito. Cooking can be sexy. Yep. That’s right. Use your hands! Get your “hands dirty” by immersing yourself into the dish. Feel the juicy ripe tomatoes break up into the pan. Not only is it sensual, it becomes your dish, your signature dish that you have created with your own hands to share.
In the pre-event article that I posted, Chef Michael told me how much he loved Nashville: the people, the combination of music, the food scene and, of course, Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. He would be celebrating his birthday while he was here for the event and would celebrate with hot chicken. As we discussed the types of paella he might prepare, I suggested a Hot Chicken Paella and I am glad I did!
As you might know, I am a paella chef in Nashville (My Paella Travels) and having the opportunity to speak to Michael Symon in a phone interview and then attend the Paella Perfection demo was full-circle!
photo: Lisa Mays, Wine & Food Blogger, Paella Chef, Chef John Lasater and Chef Michael Symon!
