Chicken Cordon Bleu
This recipe is much quicker than it looks. Chicken, ham and gruyere cheese coated in bread crumbs and shallow fried to a golden brown. Delicious!
In France and Italy certainly, veal is more commonly used than chicken for this recipe. For some reason in Britain veal is not readily available in supermarkets. Whichever meat is used, the preparation and cooking method are exactly the same.
For the curious, "cordon bleu" is French for "blue cord". There are many theories as to why this term is used for some recipes. The common understanding is that cordon bleu means that the dish has been prepared and cooked to the highest standards.
Four medium sized chicken breasts
Four slices of ham
Four slices of gruyere cheese
Three medium eggs
100g / 4oz of dried breadcrumbs
Three tablespoons of vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
PREPARATION TIME: 35 minutes (including chill time)Chicken Cordon Bleu is basically a very simple recipe so why has it been rated as difficult? It's because there is a danger that the breadcrumbs may fall off the chicken when cooking. This won't ruin the taste but it will make the dish look unattractive.
To help stop this happening, make sure you firm the breadcrumbs into the chicken as advised below. Make sure you chill the breadcrumb covered chicken in the fridge for a good 20 minutes.
Most important of all, only turn the chicken over after it has cooked for 6 minutes. Constant turning will only make the breadcrumbs fall off.
Cover the chicken breasts in Clingfilm then bash the chicken breasts with a rolling pin or similar for a couple of minutes to flatten them out. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place a slice of cheese then ham on each chicken breast and cut them to about the same size.
Chicken, cheese and ham for Chicken Cordon Bleu
We were unable to buy pre-sliced gruyere at our supermarket so we bought a chunk of gruyere cheese and sliced bits off to fit. It worked perfectly well.
Ham covering Gruyere cheese and chicken
Beat the egg then brush it onto both sides of the meat. Make sure it's well covered with the egg.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over both sides of the meat as shown in the picture. Make sure it is well covered. With dry hands firm the breadcrumbs into the meat on both sides. Place the meat in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Breadcrumbs on Chicken Cordon Bleu
Pour the oil into a frying pan and heat to medium heat. Using a spatula or broad knife, lift the meat off the plate and place it into the frying pan (chicken side down, ham side up).
Let it cook for 6 minutes then carefully turn it over to cook the other side. Cook for a further 6 minutes until golden brown. Serve your Chicken Cordon Bleu on warm plates.
Chicken Cordon Bleu with chips and peas