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Last month we sat down to chat with Talking Stick Resort and Casino’s Samuel Murillo, who had blown the competition out of the water with his Southwest Paella at the regional competition hosted by the American Culinary Federation.
Last week, Chef Murillo headed to Dallas to compete against four other regional winners in the Paella Please! cook off at the ACF National Convention. Now, we welcome him back as the champion.
Read more after the jump
Chef Murillo’s original Southwest Paella recipe captivated the judges at the regional competition because of his original use of smokey flavored chili chipotle and poblano peppers to recapture the flavors of traditional Spanish paella cooked on an open wood fire. The hotness of his dish was smoothed out by a creamy, refreshing cilantro creama.
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At the national competition, the chefs were given thirty minutes to create a paella with any ingredients they wanted to bring along. “I stuck with what got me to the finals,” Murillo tells Chow Bella. “The judges were blown away by the flavor and texture I was able to produce.”
Sure enough, his recipe worked its magic again. And you, dear reader, will be able to experience Chef Murillo’s paella for yourself, for a limited time. Starting August 7 and continuing through the rest of the month the paella will be featured at the Talking Stick buffet on Sundays.
