Craig Claibornes Ganache Food

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Bring cream to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour cream over chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Let stand for 2 minutes. Add butter, then whisk mixture until smooth. Let cool, stirring often. Use immediately.

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 GANACHE

Steps:

• Put chocolate into mixing bowl.
• Put cream in saucepan and bring barely to simmer.
• Add hot cream to chocolate, stirring with rubber or plastic spatula. Stir until mixture is velvety and smooth. Scrape into bowl of electric mixer and start beating at medium speed. Continue beating until it lightens in color; take care not to overbeat or it will harden. It is best to prepare mixture in a cool place until it is slightly thickened. Take care that it remains somewhat liquid. Use as filling for chocolate truffles, layer cakes and other dessert

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.

DAVID EYRE'S PANCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, milk and nutmeg and lightly beat until blended but still slightly lumpy.
• Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet with a heatproof handle over medium-high heat. When very hot but not brown, pour in the batter. Bake in the oven until the pancake is billowing on the edges and golden brown, about 15 minutes.
• Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven and, using a fine-meshed sieve, sprinkle with the sugar. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with jam, pear butter or marmalade.

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.