NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Celebrity Chef Simeon Hall Jr is known for staying true to the authenticity of the native cuisine and bringing out the history of the Bahamas.
On Saturday at the ‘Nola’s Grandson’ Culinary Master Class for Moms, Hall brought to life the late Ronnie Butler’s popular song, ‘Burma Road, Guinea corn hominy and lard grits’ by pairing it with double smoked wild Andros hog bacon.
The Culinary Master Class was an interactive cooking class that set out to teach the background and preparation of traditional Bahamian food ‘in a simple but elevated way’. This event for moms was hosted in The Kitchen at Baha Mar.
“We wanted to showcase the beautiful and tricked-out kitchen at Baha Mar, local Bahamian Chefs, and food culture,” said Chef Simeon Hall Jr.
Hall explained that in his aim to impress the students he chose to reintroduce Bahamian flavors to the menu selected.
“The class came with some tasty treats, aka amuse bouches from my seasonal menus, a little history, and some lessons on sourcing the best fish.”
The students explored the flavors of dishes such as Olive oil soft serve, Inagua salt, citrus EVOO and johnnycake biscuits, fried chicken butter, Shacara’s honeycomb, and local pepper sauce. The star of the day though was Bahamian Stewed Fish. The moms washed it all down with crafted libations from Bon Vivant.
Hall explained that he not only wanted moms to come out a learn how to prepare restaurant-style dishes, but his aim was for them to have an experience and to leave with a renewed love and appreciation for authentic Bahamian cuisine.
“The students left with plenty tings and I hopefully inspired them to fellowship through food more, understand Bahamian culture through food and appreciate that chefs may make things look difficult but it’s not. We should all run not walk to our kitchens to just cook!”
Nola’s Grandson Culinary Master Class saw the likes of celebrity Chef Jamal Petty, Bahamian entertainer Sonovia Pierre (Novie), and social media influencer Alex Kaufman (Baha Yogi).
“I want to thank all of the sponsors that partnered with me and thank you to Chef Basil Dean for stopping by!”
The class was hosted by Hall, Chef Quentin Scott, and apprentice Chef Derek Sawyer.
Hall added that he has many other initiatives in the pipeline, including the upcoming Baking Master Class for Fathers.
More information is available on www.simeonhalljr.com.
