Craig Claibornes Preferred Hamburgers Recipes

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.

'21' CLUB HAMBURGER

Steps:

• Combine the butter, chopped thyme, one tablespoon chopped fresh basil and chopped fresh parsley. Blend well. Place the mixture on a rectangle of waxed paper or aluminum foil and roll it into a sausage shape about one inch in diameter. Place in the freezer for an hour or longer, until it is frozen. This butter may be used a portion at a time and refrozen.
• Preheat a gas or charcoal broiler to high.
• Shape the meat into a round ball without kneading. With the finger, make a partial indentation through the center of the ball. Shove one frozen tablespoon of butter into the center of the ball and press to close the opening. Flatten the meat into a patty shape about three-quarters of an inch thick. Sprinkle on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the meat on the grill and cook about four minutes until it is well seared on one side; turn the meat and cook about four minutes longer or to the desired degree of doneness.
• Brush the bread slices on one side with one tablespoon of olive oil. Place the slices oiled side down on the grill and cook briefly until lightly toasted. Turn and cook briefly on the second side.
• Meanwhile, as the meat cooks, place the tomato and onion slices in a small bowl and sprinkle with the remaining two tablespoons of oil, the lemon juice, salt, pepper and remaining tablespoon of chopped fresh basil. Toss briefly.
• Place one slice of the warm grilled bread on a dinner plate, place the hamburger in the center and cover with the second slice of bread. Serve the tomato and onion slices on the side to be added to the hamburger as desired. Serve tomato ketchup only on request. The hamburger is also served with freshly cooked gaufrette potatoes on the side.

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.

MAIDA HEATTER'S RUGELACH (WALNUT HORNS)

Steps:

• Prepare the pastry the night before you are ready to cook.
• To make the pastry, put the butter, cream cheese and salt into the large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium, then high speed, until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Then beat on low speed while gradually adding the flour. If the dough starts to overly coat the beaters, scrape the dough off the beaters and continue adding flour, stirring it in with the hands until thoroughly and evenly blended. The dough will be extremely sticky.
• Scrape the dough off the hands and fingers. Rinse, wash and dry the hands. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board. Flour the hands and gather the dough into a short sausage shape. Cut this into three pieces of equal size. Flatten each piece slightly and wrap each piece in clear plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with aluminum foil and set aside.
• Combine the sugar and cinnamon for the filling and set aside.
• Place one ball of dough on a floured pastry cloth. Hammer the dough firmly to soften it slightly. Do not let it become warm. Quickly roll out the dough, turning it occasionally, with a floured rolling pin into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Don't worry about a slighly uneven edge.
• Using a pastry brush, brush the dough with a tablespoon of the melted butter. Sprinkle the dough all over with one-third of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Sprinkle with one-third of the currants or raisins and one-third of the walnuts. Roll the rolling pin lightly over the top to press the filling slightly into the dough.
• Using a long, sharp knife, cut the circle into 12 pie-shaped wedges. Roll each wedge jellyroll fashion, rolling from the outside toward the point. Do not be dismayed if some of the filling falls out. Place each roll, point side down, about one inch apart on one foil-covered cookie sheet. Repeat with a second ball of dough and then a third, filling and rolling each as indicated.
• For the glaze, beat the egg yolk with the water. Brush the top of each walnut horn lightly and evenly with the mixture.
• Place each sheet on a rack in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Preferably at mid-point during the baking, you should reverse the sheets top to bottom and front to back, to insure even browning. When the horns are cooked, remove them with a metal spatula and transfer them to racks to cool.

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.

STUFFED CABBAGE WITH PORK

Steps:

• Carefully cut away the bottom center core of the cabbage. Pull off and discard any tough or blemished outer leaves.
• Bring enough water to the boil to cover the cabbage when it is added. Drop the cabbage into the water and cook, turning occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes.
• Drain the cabbage and run it briefly under cold water. Place the cabbage cored side down to drain further.
• Meanwhile, cut away the cores of the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes into one-half-inch cubes. There should be about three cups. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet and add the two cups of finely chopped onions and two teaspoons of the garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onions are wilted. Sprinkle with one-half teaspoon of the thyme and add the cloves. Cook, stirring occasionally, about five minutes. Scrape the mixture onto a plate and let cool.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Put the pork in a large mixing bowl and add the parsley, bread crumbs, eggs, salt and pepper. Add the cooled onion and garlic mixture and blend thoroughly with the hands.
• Lay out a rectangle of cheesecloth of double thickness measuring about 17 by 24 inches (folded measure).
• Place one of the large outer leaves, rounded side up, just off center with the stem pointing outside. Add a second leaf, the leaf ends slightly overlapping. Add a total of eight leaves, the leaf edges overlapping to form a circle.
• Add two cups of the pork mixture to the center of the leaves and spread it out slightly. Cover with a second layer of six fairly large leaves, stem point outside and with the leaf edges overlapping. Add two more cups of the pork mixture to the center and spread it out slightly. Add a third layer of leaves, edges overlapping, and the remaining pork mixture. Bring up the edges of the cloth rectangle and pull tightly to reassemble the mass into a large cabbage shape. Twist the ends of the cheesecloth bag tightly and tie tightly with string. Cut off the excess cheesecloth ends.
• Heat the butter in a heavy casserole large enough to hold the stuffed cabbage comfortably without crowding. Add the one and one-half cups of coarsely chopped onions, celery, bay leaf and remaining one-half teaspoons of garlic and thyme and cook briefly until the mixture is wilted. Add the tomatoes and allspice, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and cook about one minute.
• Add the wine and broth. Put in the stuffed cabbage, tied side down, and cover closely. Bring to the boil and simmer one and one-half hours or until the internal temperature reads 170 degrees.
• Remove the cabbage from the casserole. Cut away and remove the cheesecloth bag. Line a mixing bowl with a sieve and pour the liquid and solids from the casserole into it. Strain, pressing the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Reheat this sauce.
• Cut the cabbage into pie-shaped wedges and serve with the hot sauce.

PIERRE FRANEY'S HAMBURGER WITH EGG AND ANCHOVY

Steps:

• Divide the meat into four equal portions. Shape each portion into balls and then flatten into patties, like broad hamburgers, about four inches across and half-an-inch thick. Sprinkle the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
• The hamburger may be cooked on a hot grill - such as a barbecue grill, under a hot broiler or in a very hot skillet - without additional fat. Turn once while cooking and cook to the desired degree of doneness. Cook two to five minutes on each side according to taste. Transfer the patties to each of four plates.
• Heat one teaspoon of butter at a time in one or more small skillets and add one egg to each skillet. Cook them without turning until the white is firm and the yolk remains soft and runny. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then slip each, yolk side up, onto each patty.
• Use the anchovy fillets, either split in half lengthwise or whole. Arrange the halved or whole fillets around the yolks in a triangular fashion.
• Heat the four tablespoons of butter until they are foamy and add the capers and parsley. When the foaming starts to subside and the butter begins to brown, pour equal amounts of the sauce over each serving and serve hot.

CURRIED SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• Put the potatoes into a pot and add water to cover and salt to taste. Bring to the boil and cook 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
• As the potatoes cook, heat the oil in a skillet and add the onions and garlic over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are wilted. Add the curry powder, cumin and coriander and cook briefly, stirring.
• Add the meat and cook, stirring down with the side of a heavy kitchen spoon to break up the lumps. Add salt, pepper, the tomatoes, broth and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.
• Drain the potatoes and put them through a food mill or a potato ricer back into the pot. Stir in the peas and cook briefly.
• Add the hot milk, two tablespoons of the butter and pepper, preferably white, beating with a wooden spoon.
• Heat an eight-cup baking dish (a souffle dish works well) and spoon the piping-hot curried meat into it. Top with the hot mashed potatoes. Smooth over the top. Dot with the remaining tablespoon of butter.
• Run the mixture under the broiler until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.