Paella for the People

At Conexión Américas’ fifth Battle of the Paellas, the defining ingredients held constant: Bomba rice, saffron and a flat, round pan the size of a kiddie pool. That’s how the traditional Spanish dish, stirred with meats, seafood and vegetables over an open flame, usually begins.

From there, paella becomes a medium to express culinary culture, showcasing local traditions and ingredients on a canvas of fluffy rice above a layer of scorched rice known as socarrat. Paella made inland might be rich in chicken and rabbit, while coastal paella might lean on seafood.

At a sweltering party at Love and Exile Bar in East Nashville, four distinct recipes emerged in the friendly competition, which benefitted Conexión Américas’ mission to support Latino families.

Louisiana native Queen Cherie stirred up a mussel-rich medley; Jamaica- born Chef OMR infused his paella with rabbit and jerk spices; and The Boys, a team of East Nashville neighbor dads, went rogue with a vegan paella, with tofu—brined in dashi and shiitake and drizzled with red pepper coulis—masquerading cleverly as scallops, earning the Judges’ Award.

Chef Charles Hunter (@thesaltedtable) earned the People’s Choice vote with his recipe long on peanuts, chicken, butter beans and okra. He shares his formula here as a road map, open to interpretation with your own seasonal ingredients.