Craig Claiborne's Spaghetti A L'Americain

With all of your great help I was able to get a copy of my wonderful corn pudding. I moved last year and still have not found my recipe file. Most of my recipes have appeared in numerous places on the internet but another recipe which I could never duplicate, was originally printed in the NY Times magazine section about 25 years ago. I am surprised I cannot find a copy of it anywhere because it is very unusual and absolutely delicious, great for company. Craig Claiborne decided to jazz up spaghetti. I remember all of the ingredients but not quantities, preparation techniques, etc. The ingredients are: poached chicken breasts, Italian sausage, mushrooms, peas, onions, stock, small amount of tomato sauce, small amount of cooked spaghetti and cheddar cheese. I know, it sounds like an unusual combination but everything worked well together. Everything was combined and then baked, which made it a great make ahead entree. If anyone has a copy of this recipe, I hope they would share it with me. When I find my recipe file, I will post it on this site.

It reads as if you already have the recipe. Just put it together. Seems easy enough. Just wing it.

I probably could but it is such a big recipe that is a hassle to prepare that I would love the original one. Too much broth it is too soupy and too little, too dry. Maybe I will try to come up with my own recipe on a smaller scale.

I have a copy of Craig Claiborne's "New York Times Cookbook" (1980) and the only "unusual" spaghetti recipe is one called "My Mother's Chicken Spaghetti". It calls for chicken broth, mushrooms, onions, and cheddar cheese but, otherwise, doesn't sound like what you're looking for. Is it possible that this is the one? pb

Unfortunately, it is not the same recipe. I have (and love) the NY Times cookbook but it is not the recipe. For some reason, he chose not to include it in any of his cookbooks.

quote:

Originally posted by porkbeaks

I have a copy of Craig Claiborne's "New York Times Cookbook" (1980) and the only "unusual" spaghetti recipe is one called "My Mother's Chicken Spaghetti". It calls for chicken broth, mushrooms, onions, and cheddar cheese but, otherwise, doesn't sound like what you're looking for. Is it possible that this is the one? pb

Why not e-mail the Times and ask. They must have it in their files.

Below is a link to a preview of a NY Times article for Spaghetti alla Yankee. You have to pay to get the full article. Might this be the dish?

http://tinyurl.com/8llgc

The link was very long so I went to a website suggested by a fellow Roadfooder to shorten it, that is why the link doesn't contain the offical NY Times wording. Didn't want you to think it was a virus or something.

Hope this helps,

Phil

How about this one. The name is different, but, well, take a look.

Craig Claiborne's Mother's Chicken Spaghetti
Southern Cooking, 1987, Times Books, now out of print



"This recipe has been printed on many occasions, for it, more than any other
dish, was my favorite as a child, and I still prepare it. I have no idea of the
origin of the dish, but find it notably akin to certain authentic Italian
sauces, notably a ragù bolognese made with ground meat in a tomato and
cream sauce. I believe it was strictly my mother's own creation, and she was
famous for it up and down the Mississippi Delta. One of the stipulations in
the original recipe is that the spaghetti, including all the ingredients, be
combined at least 4 hours before baking."

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 pounds)
Chicken broth to cover
3 cups canned Italian peeled tomatoes
7 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped green and red bell peppers
1 tablespoon or more finely minced garlic
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1 bay leaf
1 pound spaghettini
1/2 pound Cheddar, grated, and Parmesan

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's recipes sound soooooo dated now. But he was a brave, curious, interesting man.

On my first for-pay cooking job, in a local bar, the manager wanted me to make chili. I'd actually never even eaten it, let alone cooked it, but my mother had a copy of one of Craig's books. All I remember is that, in addition to the usual stuff, the recipe called for caraway seeds and some kind of orange product - juice or rind or extract. I'm so tempted to make it again, just to see if it's as good as I recall.

Hi, that is definitely it. They want $3.95 for the article so I will have to decide if it is worth it while I look for my original or try Michael Hoffman's mother's recipe. Thanks for sending me the link. I will definitely write it down. The Internet is truly amazing!

quote:

Originally posted by Shewmaker

Below is a link to a preview of a NY Times article for Spaghetti alla Yankee. You have to pay to get the full article. Might this be the dish?

http://tinyurl.com/8llgc

The link was very long so I went to a website suggested by a fellow Roadfooder to shorten it, that is why the link doesn't contain the offical NY Times wording. Didn't want you to think it was a virus or something.

Hope this helps,

Phil

This is very similar. He may have streamlined it for the NY Times. I will try it with 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce which I always have in my refrigerator. I will use chicken breasts with some canned stock and will probably substitute sausage for the chopped meats, as well as green peas which added a nice bit of color. I do think it was supposed to be made in advance, which was the beauty of it. Thanks a lot.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

How about this one. The name is different, but, well, take a look.

Craig Claiborne's Mother's Chicken Spaghetti
Southern Cooking, 1987, Times Books, now out of print



"This recipe has been printed on many occasions, for it, more than any other
dish, was my favorite as a child, and I still prepare it. I have no idea of the
origin of the dish, but find it notably akin to certain authentic Italian
sauces, notably a ragù bolognese made with ground meat in a tomato and
cream sauce. I believe it was strictly my mother's own creation, and she was
famous for it up and down the Mississippi Delta. One of the stipulations in
the original recipe is that the spaghetti, including all the ingredients, be
combined at least 4 hours before baking."

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 pounds)
Chicken broth to cover
3 cups canned Italian peeled tomatoes
7 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped green and red bell peppers
1 tablespoon or more finely minced garlic
1/4 pound ground beef
1/4 pound ground pork
1 bay leaf
1 pound spaghettini
1/2 pound Cheddar, grated, and Parmesan

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.

quote:

Originally posted by Sanibelle

Hi, that is definitely it. They want $3.95 for the article so I will have to decide if it is worth it while I look for my original or try Michael Hoffman's mother's recipe. Thanks for sending me the link. I will definitely write it down. The Internet is truly amazing!

Ahem. That's Craig Claiborne's mother's recipe. I would never provide one of my mother's recipes. I could be charged with murder if anyone ate something from a recipe of hers that I provided.

For all of those who helped...here is the free recipe for Spaghetti alla Yankee as it appeared in the NY Times on 4/5/70 for which I just paid $3.95.
Poach 2 large chicken breasts in 4 cups chicken broth. Shred chicken and retain broth.
Bake 2 sweet or hot sausages at 450 for 15 mins. and cool.
Melt 3 T butter, whisk in 3 T flour. Add 1 cup broth, whisk in and stir till smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup cream and 2c tomato sauce.
Heat 6 T oil, add 2 C chopped onion, 1 C chopped green pepper and 1 C
chopped celery and cook to crisp tender. Add 1 T ch. garlic and 1/2 pound ground round. Cook, stirring until meat loses color. Add tomato-cream sauce and season with Tabasco and Worcestershire sauces, salt and pepper to taste. Cook 1 c thinly sliced mushrooms in 2 T butter and add to sauce.
Cook 1/2 pound thin spaghetti until 1/2 done, drain and run under cold water. Cook 1 cup green peas & drain. Cut 1/2 pound sharp cheddar into small cubes.
Spoon a thin layer of sauce over bottom of deep baking dish & add half the spaghetti, half the chicken, half the sausage (sliced), half the cheddar cheese; repeat ending with cheese. Stir lightly with 2 pronged fork & add another 1 1/2 cups broth. Should be moist but not too liquid and let stand so spaghetti absorbs liquid. Bake about 25 mins. (I think at 450 degrees) or until piping hot and bubbling and cheese is melted. If necessary, add more broth as it bakes, but do not make it soupy. Sounds like a lot of work but it makes a great casserole to feed a hungry crowd when served with crusty bread and a salad. Yield: 6 to 8 servings

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

quote:

Originally posted by Sanibelle

Hi, that is definitely it. They want $3.95 for the article so I will have to decide if it is worth it while I look for my original or try Michael Hoffman's mother's recipe. Thanks for sending me the link. I will definitely write it down. The Internet is truly amazing!

Ahem. That's Craig Claiborne's mother's recipe. I would never provide one of my mother's recipes. I could be charged with murder if anyone ate something from a recipe of hers that I provided.

I bet that your mother is turning over in her grave and wishing that she had poisoned you in your childhood.

My mother did poison me in my childhood. Several times a day, in fact. She also poisoned my sister, my father, and all those who were unfortunate enough to be subjected to her cooking.