I’m happy to be able to give recipes for two requests this week, and I’ve come up with a chicken croquette recipe that my mother — she joined Ruth Griffin in herrequest for the Bill & Jim’s recipe — says sounds like it will be close. But take note that I read the comments on the Food Network page where I found the recipe and I've adapted it a bit because several people complained there was too much flour in the sauce, and I thought it looked like it, too. You'll see the note in the recipe (plus another one or two). And one commenter said she rolls the breaded croquettes in butter and bakes them instead of frying, which I would definitely do for ease of preparation.
Terri Kuehner wanted a recipe for the dinner rolls from the Memphis City Schools in the 1960s, and I’m printing what I bet will fit the bill as I suspect they were the same for years.
And lucky Gail Pinkney! She sent in a request for her list recipe of bistecca braciola from Giovanni’s just as I was ready to write this column. It was so easy to find that I’m including it here.
On to requests:
More folks are asking for the mocha cake from Carl’s Bakery, and I’d love to be able to find that recipe; please share it if you have it and if we don’t get it soon, we’ll work at re-creating it.
Ruth Martin wants the carrot cake recipe from Cafe Samovar; she says it’s the best she’s tasted. This joins two outstanding requests from the closed Russian restaurant: Kapusta, a cabbage salad, and seafood or lobster bisque.
Mary Hall wants the recipe for chicken bruschetta that includes Stove Top stuffing in the topping.
And George Falls, the requests for chicken brochette from Paulette’s also continue to come in.
Can anyone help?
Memphis City Schools Rolls and Buns
Ingredients:
2 packagesdry yeast
2½ cups milk
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoonbaking powder
1 egg
7½ cups all-purpose flour
Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm milk. Mix remaining milk, sugar, salt, oiland baking powder in bowl.Beat egg. Add to mixture. Add dissolved yeast. Sift in flour while stirring. Put in warm place. Let rise. Roll out. Cut rolls or form buns as desired.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake 15 to 25 minutes. Makes about 24.
Source: Files of The Commercial Appeal
Bistecca Braciola
Ingredients
Sauce:
¼ cup butter
3 cups milk
½ cup flour
1 cup Italian fontina cheese, grated (or a good white cheddar)
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Steaks:
2 (12 ounceeach) sirloin strip steaks, about 1-inch thick
12 slices (about 6 ounces) imported Italian prosciutto
⅔ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
¼pound provolone cheese, shredded
3 tablespoonsextra virgin olive oil
Directions
Make the sauce: Melt butter in a heavy saucepan. Add flour and stir over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and gradually add 1½ cups milk, beating vigorously after each addition. Return pan to heat and whisk for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce is very thick and smooth. Remove from heat.
Gradually whisk remaining milk into the sauce, then return to heat and simmer, whisking constantly, until thickened. Add grated fontina and nutmeg with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a few more minutes, stirring frequently. Pour about one-third of sauce into a baking dish and spread to the corners.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butterfly each steak by splitting horizontally through the center, leaving one edge attached. Stuff evenly with cheeses and slices of prosciutto. Close with toothpicks if necessary, and season with salt and pepper.
Sear the steaks over high heat approximately 1 minute per side. Place in baking dish, cover with remaining cream sauce, and cook to desired doneness. Serves 2.
Source: Files of The Commercial Appeal
Chicken Croquettes
Ingredients
Croquettes:
1 cup milk
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
Salt, to taste
1/4 pound butter
1 stalk celery, minced
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 pounds cooked chicken meat, ground in food processor
Breading:
2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour or cracker meal
3 cups breadcrumbs
Chicken gravy:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Pinch white pepper and salt
Also:
Salad oil or liquid shortening, for frying
Mashed potatoes, for serving
Directions
For the croquette batter: In a heavy pot, heat the milk and chicken stock on the stove and then add the white pepper, fresh parsley and salt, if needed. In a separate heavy pot, melt the butter and add the minced celery. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes. (Note: Original recipes calls for 1 cup flour, which seems like too much. Also: Taste. Cook over low heat longer if roux tastes like raw flour.) Pour in the hot milk and stock and stir until thickened and smooth. Fold in the chicken meat and allow to cool.
Breading the croquettes: Shape 3-ounce portions of croquette batter in the shape of a cone and place on a tray lined with waxed paper. Next make an egg wash from the milk, eggs and salt. Dip the croquettes in the egg wash and then into the flour and let stand a few minutes. Finish breading by dipping the croquettes back in the egg wash and then rolling in breadcrumbs.
For the chicken gravy: Melt the butter in a 1- or 2-quart saucepanand stir in the flour. Pour in the stock and whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add the fresh parsley, white pepper and salt, to taste(if fresh stock was used).
Cooking the croquettes: Fry the croquettes in a pot with salad oil or liquid shortening, heated to 350 degrees, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain well and blot on paper towels. Place on a bed of mashed potatoes and top each croquette with chicken gravy. Or roll croquettes in melted butter and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, until crisp. Serves 8 to 10.
Source: foodnetwork.com
