Port Isabel to compete in H-E-B High School Paella Challenge

Acclaimed San Antonio Chef Johnny Hernandez joined Port Isabel Early College High School culinary students Thursday afternoon, providing competition tips as they prepare for the 14th annual Paella Challenge in San Antonio.

The competition March 24 at Mission County Park will also mark the 12th annual high school challenge sponsored by H-E-B. About 40 professional chefs and 15 high school teams will compete, said Hernandez, who founded the contest.

Paella is a rice dish from Valencia, Spain. The original version includes chicken and rabbit, but a seafood version features shrimp and scallops.

However, rice is the most important ingredient, Hernandez said, advising the students to use the rice variety with which they are most familiar.

“No paella has ever won without perfect rice. There’s been other paellas with a lot of flavor. I can hear the judges. They’re like, but the rice wasn’t good,” Hernandez said as he fielded questions after cooking a paella for students and staff in the CTE kitchen at Port Isabel ECHS.

This will be Port Isabel’s third year at the contest. Hernandez is a personal friend of Point Isabel Independent School District Superintendent Terri Capistran. In years past the Tarpons have been the only school south of San Antonio to compete.

Online sources list saffron rice as essential, but Hernandez said being able to control the outcome is most important.

“I cook it hot and fast, which gives you the best texture for rice,” he said as his dish neared completion, the point at which the rice is almost burnt, he said.

The Paella Challenge places chefs from San Antonio, the U.S. and Mexico in head-to-head competition to create the most impressive and tasty paella dishes cooked right before the eyes of some 3,500 participants and spectators, Hernandez said.

High school teams compete in the H-E-B High School Paella Challenge. First place wins a trip to the Culinary Institute of America in New York.

“We have after-school programs that we do with money raised. There’s a kitchen we built with the fundraising on the west side of San Antonio. We’ve raised over $500,000,” Hernandez said, calling it the Kitchen Campus.

“It’s a great event. All the local chefs compete, Usually some from Mexico. I have some friends from Chicago, New York that come to support the event,” he said.