Chicken Cordon Bleu
Chicken Cordon Bleu is a French Classic that is pretty easy to master and will impress your family and friends. Admittedly, this is a dish that hasn’t been on my radar for quite a while, so it was something new for my family. Last week at culinary school our team moved to the “Entree” station for our 2 week rotation. Needless to say, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face for the entire 6 hour class. It’s the main attraction, the big event and so much fun! Each day, we switch cuisines, also on a 2 week rotation, so that everyone gets to work in every station for each cuisine. The other day for French day, we made this Chicken Cordon Bleu.
We tasted it and I remembered how good it is and was inspired to make it for my family at home. When we made them the other day in class, 140 of them to be exact, our chef showed us his technique for perfect results. The chicken breasts were pounded thin and then we placed thinly sliced ham and cheese in the center. We then rolled them tightly (like a sleeping bag) and tucked the corners as we rolled them. Then we placed them, seam side down on a parchment lined baking sheet and put them in the freezer overnight.
The next morning, we pulled them out and breaded each one with seasoned flour, egg wash and seasoned panko breadcrumbs. We then placed them, a few at a time into the fryer until they were golden brown, but no more. This process only took 2-3 minutes total. They were frozen so that the cheese didn’t run out immediately and make a huge mess. It was brilliant! We placed them back on a parchment lined baking sheet and finished them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350F. At that point, the cheese was nice and melted and starting to seep out…a beautiful thing. We used ham and swiss cheese, however, when I made them, I used prosciutto and Gruyere cheese. Either one will be amazing!
Prep Time
45 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 25 minutes
Course
Entree
Cuisine
French
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
6 Chicken Breasts pounded thin between parchment with a flat meat tenderizer
6 ham or prosciutto thinly sliced
6 Gruyere or Swiss thinly sliced
1 cup AP Flour seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 Eggs beaten with a splash of water
1 cup panko or breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper
Vegetable or Olive Oil in a fry pan, filled about 1" deep
Instructions
If you have time, do this the day before, or at least 4-6 hours prior to cooking. Pound the chicken thin between 2 sheets of parchment paper. Salt and pepper the chicken.
Lay a thin slice of ham and swiss in the center of each chicken breast and starting at one end, roll tightly, tucking the sides as you go. Place each breast on a parchment lined baking sheet, with distance between so they're not touching. Place another parchment paper over the top and freeze for 4-6 hours, or overnight.
Prepare a breading station: shallow bowl of seasoned flour (salt, pepper and garlic powder). Egg wash with beaten eggs and a splash of water. Breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs.
Place chicken breast in flour, dust lightly and shake any excess loose. Continue to egg wash and finally to breadcrumbs. Place each chicken breast back on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Heat oil so that it is about 1" deep in a large pan with deep sides. Warm it up over medium heat, you want it hot but not too hot so that it doesn't get too dark. If you have a fryer, you can use that as well. After 1-2 minutes, flip over to golden brown on all sides. Remove from oil and lay on a paper towel lined plate. Serve immediately.