Chef Tiffany Derry is a Texas-based restaurateur and celebrity chef who has made appearances as a culinary expert and judge on several TV shows, including Top Chef and Bar Rescue. A Texas native, Derry operates Roots Southern Table and Roots Chicken Shak. In summer 2020, Derry opened a Roots Chicken Shak at the Main Streat Food Hall at the H-E-B Mueller in Austin. The made-to-order restaurant offers Derry’s Southern cuisine that includes her famous duck fat chicken and fries. She also has an all-purpose Creole seasoning coming soon to H-E-B stores across Texas.
First learning to cook alongside her family, Derry received her culinary degree from the Art Institute of Houston and has studied abroad in places like Costa Rica, Mexico, Italy, France, and China. Derry also has dedicated her endeavors to help women and people of color create and grow in roles within the culinary industry. During Black History Month and with Women’s History Month around the corner, Chef Tiffany shares a bit about her story, what inspired her to become a chef, and life lessons from the kitchen.
Tiffany Derry is the featured chef for H-E-B’s Women in Whiskey dinner series at True Texas BBQ next month. The series, which includes cocktails, dinner and a panel discussion with influential and innovative women in the restaurant and whiskey worlds, has two dinners in Austin and San Antonio on March 9 and 10, respectively. Click the links for tickets for the San Antonio dinner and the Austin dinner.
What inspired you to get into cooking and become a chef?
I knew my passion was to be in the kitchen from a early age. Growing up spending time on my family farm, farm-to-table eating wasn’t a trend, it was just how we lived. My grandmother always welcomed us to her kitchen with love and taught me that cooking is more than just putting a few ingredients together – it’s a passion.
What were some of the first dishes you learned to make?
It was spaghetti with meat sauce and to this day I still love any strand pasta. I tend to lean more on light sauces rather than heavy these days.
The kitchen is a great place to learn some of life’s most important lessons from family members. Do you remember any words of wisdom from your time cooking with your family?
Cook with love! Do not bake when angry, that cake will never rise.
I later realized that cooking with love meant more than taking my time to do things the right way. Use your senses to know when something is right and your hands to know the right texture.
What does Be the Change mean to you?
Both concepts – Roots Southern Table and Roots Chicken Shak – are inspired by my culinary upbringing in the South. Each are founded on passion, principle, purpose and profit, in that order. Fueled by a spirit of service and deep rooted hunger to drive social change, myself and my business partner Tom Foley, aim to bridge the gender and racial wealth gap in the hospitality industry through the power of good food and meaningful dialogue around the table. At the end of the day we must create the change we want to see.
An important message you share is to help and provide opportunities to women and people of color. Why is that an important mission for you?
When I was coming up I was not aware of any women of color who owned restaurants or were the chef. I want other women to see us front and center and know that anything is possible.
How are you telling the story of your culture through food?
I believe we keep our culture alive by showcasing our ancestral food. I also truly believe our ancestors would want us to expand on what they started. When I prepare hot water cornbread, I can still remember my grandmother’s hands as she formed the patties with the hot mixture telling me the texture I was looking for. When people come to the restaurant they can eat from the down home roots section or the modern roots. There is so much tradition in what I do, and how I cook is all influenced by my family and travel.
Which of your favorite dishes do you feel provide a good representation of the culture?
My mother’s gumbo is one of my favorite recipes in the world. I decided to put it on the menu because it means so much to me and I love it.
You use duck fat in your chicken dishes and fries. Where did that originate from for you and what does duck fat add to the food?
I had my first duck fat French fry in France at the age of 18, and I will never forget that taste. It fries cleaner, more crisp and adds so much flavor.
As a chef, any words of advice for home cooks?
If you enjoy cooking at home, keep pushing yourself to create dishes you would normally not even attempt. It’s gratifying to create something that you didn’t think you could.
