Craig Claibornes Consomme Recipes

CONSOMME

Steps:

• Some Traditional Garnishes: Brunoise-Consomme garnish with small cubes of carrots, turnips, leeks, celery, peas, and chervil
• Cheveux d'anges-Chicken Consomme garnished with very small vermicelli and grated Parmesan cheese
• In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites slightly. Combine the lean meat, vegetables, tomato puree, herbs, and spices together. Mix in the egg whites. In a spigot stock pot, blend the cold chicken stock with the meat mixture. Place the stock pot on medium heat. Stir the liquid occasionally until the raft forms. (the liquid should reach 160 degrees F) Simmer the soup for 1 1/2 hours, making sure the raft does not break or sink. Remove the first cup of the consomme from the spigot to remove sediment and discard. Line a china cap with 5 layers of cheesecloth. Strain the liquid slowly. If the liquid is cloudy, strain the consomme again with fresh cheesecloth. Season with salt, hot sauce, and garnishes.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S SMOTHERED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Craig Claiborne believed a cast-iron skillet to be essential for the authentic preparation of this dish. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Select a skillet large enough to hold the chicken comfortably when it is opened up, as for broiling. Fold wings under to secure them.
• Melt the butter in the pan and add the chicken, skin side down. Cover chicken with a plate that will fit comfortably inside the skillet. Place a heavy can, stone or brick on top of the plate to weigh it down. Cook over low heat, checking the chicken skin, until it is nicely browned, about 25 minutes.
• Remove weight and plate. Turn chicken so skin side is up. Replace plate and weight and continue cooking for about 15 minutes more.
• Remove chicken and pour off fat from the skillet, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Add the flour to the fat, stirring with a wire whisk over medium heat. Gradually add the chicken broth and, when thickened, return chicken to the skillet, skin side up. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with the plate and weight and continue cooking over low heat about 20 to 30 minutes longer or until the meat is exceptionally tender. Spoon the sauce over it.
• Cut chicken into serving pieces, and serve with the sauce and fluffy rice on the side.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S CONSOMME

Steps:

• Put bones in kettle and add cold water to cover. Bring to boil and simmer 1 minute. Drain well. Rinse bones under cold water and when thoroughly chilled, return to clean kettle.
• Add six quarts of water, peppercorns, carrots, leeks and celery.
• Tie cloves, parsley, thyme sprigs and bay leaves into bundle and add. Bring to boil and simmer uncovered for 5 hours.
• Strain, discard solids and skim off fat.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Prepare noodle dough and set aside.
• Heat butter in saucepan and add garlic. Cook briefly and add beef. Cook, stirring and chopping down with the side of a heavy metal spoon to break up lumps, about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper and stir. Remove from heat. Let cool.
• Add basil, marjoram, egg, cream, bread crumbs, cheese and parsley. Blend well.
• Roll out pasta.
• If a ravioli maker is used, cover utensil with thin sheet of pasta, add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling for each ravioli. Cover with second sheet of pasta and press between fillings to exclude air.Use rolling pin to seal pasta and to cut them as you roll.
• Remove ravioli to a rack. Let dry for 1 1/2 hours before cooking. To cook, drop ravioli into boiling water without crowding. Let boil about 7 minutes or to desired degree of doneness. Drain and serve with meat sauce (see recipe).

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S CROUTONS

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler.
• Rub the crust of the uncut loaf all over with the cut pieces of garlic.
• Cut the bread into thin crosswise slices. Arrange the slices in one layer on a baking sheet. Brush the slices on one side with oil. Turn and brush them on the second side. Place the slices under the broiler and cook briefly until golden brown on top.

CHILE CON CARNE

Steps:

• Heat oil in a saucepan and add the onions, garlic and green pepper. Cook, stirring, until wilted.
• Add beef and cook, chopping down with the side of a heavy metal spoon to break up any lumps. Cook until the meat loses its raw look. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, coriander seeds, hot red pepper flakes and bay leaf. Stir to blend.
• Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and vinegar and bring to a boil. Partly cover and let simmer, stirring often, about 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Steps:

• Season beef with 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or chill in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
• In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, cook lardons over medium-low heat until fat is rendered and lardons are browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve fat in pot.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Raise heat under pot to medium-high and cook until fat is starting to smoke. Lay half the beef cubes in a single layer in the pot, leaving space between pieces. Cook until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes; transfer pieces to a plate as they brown. Repeat with remaining beef.
• Reduce heat, if necessary, to prevent burning. Stir in onion, carrot and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until soft, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in garlic and tomato paste, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in flour, cook for 1 minute, then add wine, bay leaf and thyme, scraping up brown bits at bottom of pot. Add browned beef and half the cooked lardons back to pot, cover, and transfer to oven. Let cook until beef is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours, turning meat halfway through.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet set over high heat, combine pearl onions, mushrooms, 1/4 cup water, the olive oil and a pinch each of salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce heat to medium, cooking for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook, tossing frequently, until vegetables are well browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
• To serve, scatter onions and mushrooms and remaining cooked lardons over stew, then top with parsley.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S CREAM PUFFS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Rub a baking sheet all over with butter and sprinkle with flour. Shake sheet back and forth until surface is coated with flour. Shake off excess.
• Put water in a saucepan and add 8 tablespoons butter, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil.
• Add 1 cup flour all at once, stirring vigorously around and around with a wooden spoon until a ball is formed and no mixture is left on the sides of the saucepan.
• Add one egg, beating vigorously and rapidly with the spoon until it is well blended with the mixture. Add another egg, beat until incorporated, and continue with remaining eggs until all are beaten in.
• Fit a pastry bag with a round-tipped No. 6 pastry tube. Spoon mixture into the bag. Holding the pastry bag straight up with tip close to the floured surface of the baking sheet, squeeze it to make mounds of pastry at 2-inch intervals all over pan. There should be about 36 mounds.
• The mounds may have pointed tips on top. To flatten these, wet a clean tea towel and squeeze it well. Open it up, fold it over in thirds. Hold it stretched directly over the mounds, quickly patting down just enough to rid the mounds of the pointed tips. Do not squash the mounds.
• Place pan in oven and bake 30 minutes, or until cream puffs are golden brown and cooked through. Remove and let cool.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S PREFERRED HAMBURGERS

Steps:

• Divide the meat into four equal portions and shape each portion. Press each portion as gently as possible, just enough so that it holds together.
• Sprinkle the bottom of a heavy skillet, preferably a black-iron skillet, lightly with salt, if used. Heat the skillet until it is hot and almost smoking. Add the patties and sear well on one side, about two minutes. Using a pancake turner, turn the patties and reduce the heat to moderate. Cook on the second side about two or three minutes or to the desired degree of doneness.
• If desired, sprinkle each hamburger with salt and pepper and top each with one tablespoon of butter.
• Meanwhile, toast the cut sides of each bun until they are lightly browned. Arrange the bun halves, cut side up, on four dinner plates. Sprinkle each patty with one-quarter teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, one tablespoon parsley and one-half tablespoon lemon juice. Add one onion slice atop each hamburger. Top each serving with the remaining toasted bun halves, cut side down. Serve with tomato ketchup.