Craig Claibornes Preferred Hamburgers Recipes

TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or small kettle, and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the mixture is wilted.
• Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Add the basil, parsley, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to the boil and let simmer 30 minutes.

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.

SPLIT-PEA AND TOMATO SOUP (POTAGE MONGOL)

Steps:

• Soak the peas or not according to package recommendations.
• Put the bones in a kettle and cook over moderate heat until bones start to brown. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until onion is wilted. Drain the beans and add them to the kettle.Add the water, bay leaf, thyme, tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to the boil and let simmer one hour.
• Meanwhile, cut the carrots into one-and-one-half-inch lengths.Cut the pieces lengthwise into very thin slices. Stack the slices and cut the slices into very thin julienne strips. Drop the strips into boiling water. Let boil two minutes. Drain thoroughly.
• When the soup is cooked, pour it into the container of a food processor or electric blender and blend until smooth. Return it to a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the cream, Tabasco sauce to taste and the carrots. Serve piping hot.

FRESH TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring, until they are wilted.
• Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Stir in the butter and basil.

PIZZA CON TUTTI (PIZZA WITH EVERYTHING)

Steps:

• There are two recommended ways of cooking pizza at home. It may be prepared and cooked in a 14-inch pizza pan, or it may be baked on a baking stone. If it is to be baked on a pizza pan, preheat the oven to 475 degrees; if it is to be baked on a stone, preheat the oven to 500 degrees and put the stone in the oven.
• Divide the dough in half. Flatten, one-half at a time, with the hands into a circle. Start punching it all around with the back of a clinched fist to shape it into a larg er circl e about 12 or 13 inches in diameter. Keep the surface floured lightly but enough so that thedough does not stick.
• If pizza pans are used, rub the surface of each with one tablespoon of oil. If a baking stone is used, you will place the pizza circle on the wooden paddle. You should bake one pizza first and continue to make the second after the first is baked.
• Arrange one circle of dough on each pan or on the wooden paddle. Add half of the marinara sauce to the center of each circle of pastry and smooth it almost, but not quite, to the edge. Scatter half of the mushrooms, half of the sausage slices, half of the Mozzarella and half of the Parmesan over the sauce. Sprinkle each pizza with two tablespoons of olive oil.
• If a pizza pan is used, place it in the oven for 14 minutes or until the pizza is well done. If the baking stone is used, slide the pizza off onto the stone and bake 14 minutes or until the pizza is well done. Repeat with the second pizza. Serve with red-pepper flakes on the side.