Craig Claibornes Cream Puffs Recipes

PROFITEROLES (CREAM PUFFS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Lightly, but thoroughly, butter a jellyroll pan. Sprinkle the pan with flour and shake it around until well coated. Shake and tap out excess flour.
• Add the water to a saucepan and add the eight tablespoons of butter and salt to taste. Bring to the boil and add the flour, all at once, stirring vigorously and thoroughly in a circular fashion until a ball is formed and the mixture cleans the sides of the saucepan.
• Add one egg, beating thoroughly and rapidly with the spoon until it is well blended with the mixture. Add another egg, beat and so on. When all the eggs are added, fit a pastry bag with a round-tipped, number 6 pastry tube. Spoon the mixture into the bag. Holding the pastry bag straight up with the tip close to the floured surface of the pan, squeeze the bag to make mounds of pastry at intervals all over the pan. There should be about 24 mounds.
• The mounds may have pointed tips on top. To flatten these, wet a clean tea towel and squeeze it well. Open it up, fold it over in thirds. Hold it stretched directly over the mounds, quickly patting down just enough to rid the mounds of the pointed tips. Do not squash the mounds.
• Place the pan in the oven and bake 30 minutes or until the cream puffs are golden brown and cooked throughout. Remove and let cool.

BEEF STROGANOFF

Steps:

• Combine the flour, salt and pepper. Dredge the meat in the mixture.
• Brown the meat in one-quarter cup of the butter in a saucepan. Remove meat from the pan and set aside.
• Add the onion to the pan and sauté until transparent. Add the mushrooms and remaining butter and sauté 3 to 5 minutes longer.
• Add the beef stock or bouillon and bring to a boil. The preparation, to this point, may be done ahead.
• Add the meat to the sauce and cook until meat is tender but not overcooked, 3 to 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Combine sour cream, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Add some of the beef sauce to sour cream mixture. Return to pan and heat meat and sauce, stirring. Do not boil. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with buttered parsley noodles.

MUSHROOM STRUDEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Mince mushrooms and squeeze them dry in the corner of a towel.
• Sauté with minced shallots or green onions in butter and oil over moderately high heat, stirring frequently. Cook until pieces separate and the liquid has evaporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend in cream cheese.
• Spread a sheet of strudel or filo dough on a damp towel, narrow end toward you. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle on bread crumbs. Repeat with second and third sheets, stacking them on top of the first sheet, then butter, but do not crumb fourth sheet. Put half the mushroom mixture on narrower edge of the dough, leaving a 2- to 3-inch border at the sides. Fold in the sides, then, using the edge of the towel, roll. Prepare the second strudel.
• Put strudels on buttered baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Bake in oven until brown (about 20 minutes). The strudel cuts easily with shears. Strudel can be made and baked ahead, stored in the refrigerator or in the freezer overnight, and then reheated.

CREAM PUFFS WITH TARRAGON CHICKEN HASH

Steps:

• Remove the skin and bones from the chicken breast and discard. Cut the meat into very small cubes. There should be about one and one-half cups. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour, stirring with a wire whisk. When blended, add the broth, stirring rapidly with the whisk. When thickened and smooth, stir in the cream.
• Add salt and pepper to taste, nutmeg, cayenne and tarragon. Let simmer, stirring, about two minutes.
• Add the chicken and stir. Bring to the boil.
• Slice off the tops of all the cream puffs. Spoon an equal portion of the mixture into each cream-puff bottom. Replace the tops and serve.