Craig Claibornes Preferred Hamburgers Food

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 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.

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.

FOCACCIA (A PIZZALIKE BREAD)

Steps:

• Put the yeast into the container of a food processor and add the water, all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, salt and sugar.
• Start blending while adding two tablespoons of the oil. Blend until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl of the container. Empty the dough onto a lightly floured board and knead briefly. Shape the dough into a ball. Lightly oil a mixing bowl and add the ball of dough. Cover with clear plastic wrap and let stand half an hour or longer in a warm place.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Lightly oil a baking sheet. Roll out the dough into a rectangle measuring about 11 by 13 inches. Place the rectangle of dough onto the baking sheet. Using two fingers, make indentations all over the surface of the dough, leaving a half-inch border all around. Combine the cheese, garlic, rosemary and black pepper. Sprinkle the top of the dough all over with this mixture. Press down once more all over the top of the dough with two fingers. Dribble the remaining four tablespoons of olive oil all over the dough.
• Place the dough in the oven and bake 30 minutes. Cut into six to 10 wedges and serve hot.

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.