Get Cookin' with ... Chef Art Smith

Chef Art Smith is known around the world, but we here in Chicago claim him as our own. For years, we saw him on TV cooking with Oprah (where he got his start) or building Common Threads, a nonprofit conceived in a South Side basement, into a national healthy eating model for children in underserved communities. With his twinkling eyes, a face that looks like Santa Claus and an easy southern drawl, he is very easy to love.

His list of accomplishments, TV appearances and awards would fill several books, so here are a few highlights. Art is the executive chef and co-owner of Blue Door Kitchen & Garden in Chicago, Homecomin’: Florida Kitchen in Orlando and Art Bird & Whiskey Bar at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Some of his memorable TV appearances, besides Oprah, include an ABC Thanksgiving special with Lady Gaga, Top Chef and Top Chef Masters; and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, where he lent a hand to a deserving family who had devoted their lives to providing meals for the less fortunate.

The author of three award-winning cookbooks, Art has been featured on the cover of Parade Magazine and was honored as a Chicagoan of the Year by Chicago Magazine. He was named Humanitarian of the Year by the James Beard Foundation in 2007, and in 2010, the late Mayor Richard Daley proclaimed Sept. 30 as Chef Art Smith Day in Chicago.

Today, he is happily married to Jesus Salgueiro and is a family man to his four children. He spends a lot of his time traveling between Chicago and Jasper, Flo., where he grew up on a farm. He is always moving forward with kindness and compassion and unparalleled skills in the kitchen. He answered a few of my questions below.

1) When you're not cooking, what do you love to do?

"Bake sourdough bread and tend to my ducks and chickens."

2)  When will Reunion open on Navy Pier and what will it be like?

"Chef Art Smith’s Reunion, is scheduled to open late June. We will welcome families and friends to nice big tables with healthy comfort foods. There will be a great big bar with my own family's recipe for moonshine, “Reunion Moonshine,” which will premiere at the restaurant. I also created Hemp Seed, Local Peaches Cake exclusively for Reunion and guests can expect delicious breads to eat and take home."

3) We know you were a longtime chef for Oprah, did she give you any great advice? 

"Oprah 'Ms. Winfrey,' told me to be proud of who I am, to stay in my lane and focus on what I was best at. What you're not good at something, be successful enough to hire those who are. Be careful of your partnerships which is why I am very proud I have Fred Latsko as a partner for Blue Door Kitchen and Chicago Q, and my newest partner Manolis and George Apologianis, legendary Chicago Greek restaurant family."

4) When you cook for your family, what is your top dish or the dish they love the most?

"Well, tonight it’s steak and broccoli! They love beef and after eating from the best restaurants in Chicago they have great taste. They love my Basque cheesecake with fresh Florida strawberries."

5) How long have you and Jesus Salgueiro been married?

"Jesus and I lived in sin for 10 years and have been legally married for 12 years so it’s been 22 years and 7 years as a family."

6) What are the top 3 tips you would give to aspiring chefs or just people who love to cook?

"Keep it fresh, simple and seasonal. Buy local when you can. I was laughed at for making my name on fried chicken and thanks to Oprah and Disney Springs, we sell 42 tons of fried chicken a year. Have a trademark recipe or shtick. Be memorable.Be authentic to who you are because it tastes better." 

One of Chef Art's top dishes, and one most requested, is his famous recipe for fried chicken! Enjoy! 

INGREDIENTS

For the brine:

1/2 cup kosher salt 

1 gallon cold water

1 teaspoon black peppercorns

3 sprigs rosemary

5 sprigs thyme

4 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

For the chicken:

2 whole chickens, cut into 10 pieces each

1 quart buttermilk

6 large eggs

For the egg wash:

1 Tablespoon hot sauce

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

For the dredge:

2 cups all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour

3 cups self-rising flour (I use White Lily flour, or gluten-free flour)

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon onion powder

1 Tablespoon salt

2 Tablespoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

To fry:

Canola oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

To prepare the brine: In a large soup kettle, dissolve the salt in 2 cups water over medium-high heat. Add the remaining water, stirring to blend in the salt. Add the black peppercorns, rosemary, thyme, garlic cloves and bay leaves.

To prepare the chicken: Place the chicken pieces in the brine and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Pour the buttermilk into a large bowl. Remove the chicken from the brine and submerge in the buttermilk. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.

To prepare the egg wash: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, hot sauce, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper. Drain the chicken from the buttermilk and place it in the bowl with the egg wash. Turn the chicken pieces to coat them with the egg wash.

To prepare the dredge: Mix together the all-purpose and self-rising flours, garlic and onion powders, 1 Tablespoon salt, paprika, cayenne and thyme in a large glass dish. Add more salt if needed. Remove 2 pieces of chicken at a time from the egg wash, letting the excess liquid drain off. Roll in the seasoned flour. Shake off any excess flour and place the chicken on a wire rack until ready to fry. (It is crucial that any excess flour is shaken off before frying the chicken.) Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

To fry the chicken: Pour canola oil into a large cast-iron pan to a depth of 1 inch and heat over medium heat until it registers 325 ̊ F on a deep frying thermometer. Place 4 to 6 pieces of chicken into the oil. Take care to use long tongs to move the chicken and do not crowd the pan. Turn each piece about every 2 minutes. If the chicken begins to darken, turn the flame on the stove down slightly to adjust the temperature. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 180 ̊ F. Be sure to give the oil 5 minutes to return to the proper temperature before dropping in the next batch of chicken. Place the fried chicken on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil and keep at room temperature until ready to serve.

Assembly: Place the fried chicken on two large serving platters and serve.