Craig Claibornes Ravioli Recipes

COQUILLES ST. JACQUES (SCALLOPS WITH MUSHROOMS IN CREAM SAUCE)

Steps:

• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook briefly, stirring, and add the mushrooms. Cook until wilted and add the salt, pepper, and wine. Add the scallops and bring to the boil. Cook until all the scallops are heated through, stirring gently as necessary. Take care not to let the scallops overcook or they will toughen. Using a slotted spoon, remove and set aside the scallops and mushrooms. Reserve the liquid. There should be about 3/4 cup of liquid. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring rapidly with a wire whisk. When blended add the reserved liquid, stirring until thickened and smooth. Add the milk and 1 cup of the cream. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of cayenne. Whip the remaining 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Fold it into the sauce. Use 6 individual scallop shells or ramekins. Spoon equal portions of the scallops and mushrooms into each shell. Spoon the sauce over the scallop mixture. Preheat the broiler to high. Place the filled shells under the broiler about 6 inches from the source of heat and bake until a nice brown glaze forms on top. As the scallops broil, turn shells occasionally for even browning, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

GOAT CHEESE FILLING FOR RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Put the goat cheese, ricotta, salt, pepper, cream, chives and egg yolk in a mixing bowl. Blend well.
• When ready to use the filling, scoop out about one and one-half teaspoons of the mixture, and roll into a ball. There should be about 32 balls in all. Fill the rolled-out pasta dough. When the ravioli are cooked, serve with tomato sauce. Serve four or more portions as an appetizer. Serve eight to 10 portions as a main course.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S CHICKEN SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Place chicken, with giblets, in kettle. Add chicken broth to cover and salt to taste. Bring to boil and simmer until chicken is tender without being dry, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cool. Remove chicken from broth and take meat from bones. Shred meat, cover, and set aside. Return skin and bones to kettle and cook broth down 30 minutes or longer. There should be 4 to 6 cups broth. Strain and reserve broth. Discard the skin and bones.
• Meanwhile, put tomatoes in saucepan and cook down to half original volume, stirring. There should be 1 1/2 cups.
• Melt 3 tablespoon butter in saucepan, add flour, stirring to blend with wire whisk. When blended and smooth, add 1 cup of reserve hot broth and the cream, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
• If the mushrooms are small or button, leave them whole. Otherwise, cut them in half or quarter them. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in small skillet and add mushrooms. Cook, shaking the skillet occasionally, and stirring mushrooms until golden brown. Set aside. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons butter in deep skillet and add onions. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add celery and bell peppers. Cook, stirring, about 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Vegetables should remain crisp-tender. Add garlic, beef and pork. Cook, stirring, breaking up the meat. Cook just until the meat loses it red color. Add bay leaf. Add tomatoes and the white sauce made with chicken broth. Add the mushrooms.
• Cook spaghettini in boiling salted water until just tender. Do not overcook. Remember that it will cook again when blended with chicken and meat sauce. Drain spaghettini and run under cold running water.
• Spoon enough of the meat sauce over the bottom of a 5- to 6-quart casserole to cover it lightly. Add about 1/3 of the spaghettini. Add about 1/3 of the shredded chicken, a layer of meat sauce, a layer of grated Cheddar cheese and another layer of spaghettini. Continue making layers, ending with a layer of spaghettini topped with a thin layer of meat sauce and grated Cheddar cheese. Pour in up to 2 cups reserved chicken broth, or enough to almost but not quite cover the top layer of spaghettini. Cover and let casserole stand 4 hours or longer. If liquid is absorbed as the dish stands, add a little more chicken broth. When dish is baked and served, sauce will be just a little soupy rather than thick and clinging.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place casserole on top of stove and bring it just to boiling. Cover and place it in the oven. Bake 15 minutes and uncover. Bake 15 minutes longer or until casserole is hot and bubbling throughout, and starting to brown on top. Serve immediately with grated Parmesan on the side.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S SOUTHERN CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl.
• Beat the eggs until foamy and stir them into the dry mixture.
• Stir in the buttermilk and 1 cup whole milk.
• Heat the butter in a 9 X 2-inch black skillet, and when it is very hot but not brown, pour in the batter.
• Carefully pour the remaining 1 cup whole milk on top of the batter without stirring.
• Place the dish in the oven and bake 50 minutes, or until set and baked through.
• Slice into wedges.

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.

LOBSTER STUFFING FOR RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Cut the spinal cord of each lobster by inserting a knife where the tail and body meet. Tear off the tail and claws of each lobster. Cut the chest portion in half lengthwise, and remove and discard the tough sac near the eyes. Cut the chest portion into small pieces. Cut the small feelers into small pieces. Scrape away and reserve the soft coral and liver from the cavity of each lobster.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole, and add all of the lobster pieces and any liquid that accumulates from the pieces. Cook, stirring, about one minute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add the shallots, onions, carrots and garlic. Add the reserved coral and liver. Cook, stirring, about three minutes, and add the Cognac and wine. Bring to a boil, and add the tomatoes and tomato paste, cayenne, coarsely chopped tarragon, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to the boil, cover closely and let simmer five minutes.
• Remove the lobster tails and claws, and set them aside.
• Pour the remaining mixture, including the shells and cooking liquid, into a food mill, and crush and press to extract as much liquid as possible from the solids. Pour this into a skillet and cook down to slightly less than one cup of sauce.
• When the tails and claws are cool enough to handle, crush and crack them and remove the meat. Cut the meat into small cubes. Put them in a bowl and add the sauce. Add the finely chopped tarragon, if used, and stir. The filling may be used at this point, but it is better to refrigerate it for an hour or longer before using.
• When ready to use the filling, scoop up about one and one-half teaspoons of the mixture, and roll it into a ball. There should be about 32 portions in all. Fill the rolled-out pasta dough. When the ravioli are cooked and drained, serve hot with tomato sauce. Serve four or more portions as an appetizer. Serve eight to 10 portions as a main course.

RAVIOLI WITH FOIE GRAS AND TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Cut the foie gras into slices about half an inch thick or slightly larger. Cut the slices into half-inch or slightly larger cubes. Dip one side of each cube into the chopped truffles and set aside.
• Use the won-ton skins to make ravioli. Begin by laying the skins on a flat surface and, using a pastry brush, brush around the inside perimeter of each skin with water, making a 1-inch brushed margin. Place one piece of foie gras in the center of each won-ton skin. Fold over one corner of the won ton to meet its opposite corner, and enclose the foie gras. Press all around with the fingers to seal. Use a biscuit cutter to press around the filled won-ton skin to make a neat moon shape.
• Bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan, and add the ravioli. When the liquid returns to a simmer, let the ravioli cook 1 minute. Remove the ravioli carefully with a slotted spoon. Put 5 ravioli in each of 4 heated soup plates. Spoon equal amounts of the broth over each serving, and sprinkle each serving with an equal amount of the shaved truffle. Serve immediately.

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.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Cut the meat into two-inch cubes.
• Using a large skillet, heat the oil and add the beef cubes in one layer. Add salt and pepper and cook, stirring and turning the pieces often, for about 10 minutes.
• Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat the meat evenly.
• Add the wine and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Stir in the water. Add the cloves, bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Cover closely and simmer for one hour.
• Meanwhile, cut the carrots into one-inch lengths. If the pieces are very large, cut them in half lengthwise. Add them to the beef. Cover and continue cooking for 30 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Serve the stew sprinkled with chopped parsley.