Two interesting Art Smith Recipes

From a recent Oprah show (and her website which takes me FOREVER to load on dial-up):

Art Smith's Goat Cheese Drop Biscuits

Created by Chef Art Smith

From the showHalle Berry's Having a Baby

Makes 12 biscuits

These biscuits give a warm welcome to diners at Art Smith's Chicago restaurant, Table Fifty-Two.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 4 Tbsp. (2 ounces) cold butter
• 4 Tbsp. (2 ounces) goat cheese
• 1 cup (8 ounces) buttermilk
• Extra butter to grease pan and top biscuits
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat your oven to 425°. Place one 10-inch cast iron pan into the oven while it is preheating. Place flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the butter and goat cheese. Make a well in the middle of the ingredients and pour in the milk. Stir until the mix is moistened, adding an extra tablespoon of milk if needed.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven and place a tablespoon of butter into it. When the butter has melted, drop 1/4 cupfuls of batter into the pan, (use a muffin scoop to drop the batter if you have one). Brush the tops of the biscuits with melted butter. Bake from 14–16 minutes until browned on the top and bottom. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Enjoy warm!

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Coconut Chili Ginger Sauce

Created by Chef Art Smith

From the showHalle Berry's Having a Baby

Makes 12 biscuits

Patrons of Chef Art Smith's restaurant, Table Fifty-Two, love this dish he created especially for Oprah's Legends Ball.

INGREDIENTS

Coconut Chili Ginger Sauce

• 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 blades lemongrass, chopped
• 3 (1/2-inch) piece, fresh ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 cup sweet white wine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp. Thai red curry paste
• 2 Tbsp. Chinese black bean chili sauce
• 1 (8-ounce) can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken

• 4 brined, boneless chicken breasts (see brine recipe below)
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 1 pound salted pistachios, shelled and toasted
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Grape seed oil to taste

For the sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the tablespoon of butter, the shallots, lemongrass, ginger slices and wine. Reduce to half. Add the broth, red curry paste and Chinese black bean chili sauce and reduce to half again. Add the coconut milk and reduce to half a third time. Remove from the heat and whisk the bits of butter into the sauce until all the butter has been incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. If you reheat, do not allow the sauce to boil or the butter will separate.

For the chicken: Remove the chicken from the brine and cut in half. With a meat mallet, pound until 1/4-inch thick and place in a nonreactive bowl. Pour the buttermilk over the chicken, cover, and let sit for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

In a food processor, place half of the pistachios, half of the parmesan cheese, and half of the herbs. Pulse 5 or 6 times until the mixture is finely chopped. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat this step with the rest of the pistachios and combine with the other pistachio mixture.

Preheat the oven to 250°.

Place the flour in another bowl and season it with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and prepare it for assembly. Preheat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-low heat with a thin coating of grape seed oil. Remove one breast, shake off any excess buttermilk and dust the breast with flour on each side. Dip only one side of the chicken back in the buttermilk and press pistachios onto that side. Repeat that step with all the chicken. Place the chicken in the sauté pan, pistachio side down, and cook for 2–3 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. Place in the oven to finish cooking for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove, let rest for 5 minutes and then slice to serve with the Coconut Chile Ginger Sauce.

Brine for Chicken
Makes 1 1/4 cups

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp. black peppercorns

Place the salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and 2 cups cold water into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.

When brining chicken use a nonreactive pot or plastic container. Completely submerge the poultry in cold water and weigh it down with a plate. Add the brine and cover. Let the chicken sit in the brine for at least two hours, preferably overnight.