Craig Claibornes Vinaigrette Recipes

VINAIGRETTE SAUCE

Steps:

• Put 2 teaspoons olive oil, all the balsamic and other vinegar, mustard, salt, pepper and parsley in a bowl and blend well.
• Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet, and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, over high heat until onions start to become golden. Spoon and scrape this mixture into the bowl. Stir to blend.

CRAIG CLAIBORNE'S VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• In a bowl, add mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar.
• Stir well; to make smooth, whisk while adding the oil slowly.
• You want to get it thick like mayonnaise.
• Add the shallots and mix well.

DELUXE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the flour, sugar and lemon zest. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Add the egg yolk and vanilla. Mix.
• Pat a third of the dough over the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with sides removed. Bake about 6 minutes, or until golden. Cool.
• Butter the sides of the pan and attach to the bottom. Pat remaining dough around the sides to a height of 2 inches.
• Increase the oven heat to 475 degrees.
• Prepare the filling: Beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add vanilla and lemon zest.
• In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour and salt. Gradually blend into cheese mixture. Beat in eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, and the cream. Beat well.
• Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 200 degrees. Bake 1 hour longer, or until set. Turn off oven heat and allow cake to remain 30 minutes in the oven with the door ajar. Cool on a rack. Chill at least 3 hours before serving. Adorn with fruit if you'd like.

THE COACH HOUSE'S DEVILED-CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Pick over crab meat, removing all shell and cartilage. Leave in largest pieces possible. If pasteurized meat is used, drain all liquid that has accumulated. Put crab meat in mixing bowl.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in saucepan and add onion and celery. Cook, stirring often, until wilted. Let cool. Add onion mixture to crab. Add 2 1/2 tablesooons of bread crumbs, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Blend egg yolk with mustard and cream and add it. Add Worcestershire sauce, mayonnaise, Tabasco sauce and lemon juice.
• Blend mixture gently, taking care to avoid breaking up crab lumps. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until quite cold. If mixture is not cold, it will not shape properly.
• Put flour in flat-rimmed dish. Put lightly beaten egg with milk in another dish and remaining bread crumbs in a third.
• Shape mixture into 10 balls of equal size, pressing to make mixture adhere. Dip balls in flour, then in egg mixture and then in crumbs. Crab mixture is extremely delicate and must be handled with care to prevent its falling apart. As crab cakes are made, pat to flatten with great care, using spatula and fingers. Transfer carefully to dish and return to refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
• Heat remaining 3 tablespoons butter in skillet and cook crab cakes, handling cautiously, about 5 minutes on a side until nicely browned and piping hot. Serve, if desired, with green sauce on side.

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 WALNUT AND GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
• Lightly butter inside of a 10-inch, 12-cup Bundt pan. Sprinkle with flour and shake out excess.
• In a mixing bowl combine the ginger, raisins and walnuts.
• Sift together 3 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift this mixture over ginger-and-nut mixture.
• Put 1 pound butter into the bowl of an electric mixer. Start beating while gradually the sugar. Cream mixture well and gradually beat in yolks. Beat.
• in 1/3 cup Madeira.
• Pour and scrape this mixture over nut mixture, and blend the ingredients thoroughly. This is best done by hand.
• Beat egg whites until stiff, and fold into the batter thoroughly, until they do not show.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth over top with spatula. Set pan on baking sheet and place in oven. Bake about 2 1/4 hours, or until cake is puffed above pan and nicely browned on top, or until internal temperature is 200 degrees F. on thermometer.
• Remove from pan shortly after baking. Tapping bottom of pan with heavy knife will help. Store cake for at least 10 days. If desired, add occasional touch or more of Madeira, dry Sherry, Cognac or rum. Keep closely covered, wrapped in cheesecloth and foil, and refrigerated until ready to use.