Chicken Cordon Bleu is a traditional Swiss dish made from chicken that is filled with ham and cheese then breaded and fried. This famous recipe is not only hugely popular in Switzerland, but it is also widely enjoyed throughout the world and is often associated with France.
Origin & Cultural Significance
The word cordon bleu is a French word that means “blue ribbon.” It was named so because originally a wide blue ribbon was worn by the members of the highest order of knighthood, L’Ordre des chevaliers du Saint-Esprit in the year 1578.
By then, the term cordon bleu has been applied to prepare very fancy food made by outstanding cooks. The comparison and analogy for such arose from the similarity of the sash worn by the knights and the ribbons in a cook’s apron.
While the name resonates with French origin. the popular dish actually has Swiss origins. It is made with meat cutlet filled with ham and cheese, rolled, breaded, and fried into hot oil.
Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts (skinless & boneless) - 4 pcs
- Salt and Pepper - to taste
- Garlic Powder - 1 tbsp
- Onion Powder - 1 tbsp
- Swiss Cheese - 16 slices
- Ham (thinly sliced) - 225g or ½ lb
- All Purpose Flour - 125 g or 1 cup
- Eggs (beaten) - 4 pcs
- Panko Bread Crumbs - 100 g or 2 cups
- Peanut or Vegetable Oil
- Butter - 3 tbsp
- Garlic (minced) - 2 cloves
- All-Purpose Flour - 3 tbsp
- Milk - 480 ml or 2 cups
- Dijon Mustard - 60 g or ¼ cup
- Parmesan Cheese (shredded) - 1 cup
Instructions
For the chicken
- Season and coat the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, onion, and garlic powder.
- Wrap the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound it on a chopping board. Pound it until ½ inch thick using a meat mallet, rolling pin, or heavy pan.
- Remove the plastic wrap then layer 2 slices of cheese, then 2 slices of ham and another layer of both. Roll the chicken evenly and place onto a new sheet of plastic wrap.
- Tightly wrap the chicken breast with plastic wrap and twist the sides tightly to form and firm up the roll of chicken cordon bleu. Tie the excess plastic then chill the rolls in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
- Preheat a tall-sided pan with 2 inches of oil at 325 F.
- After the rolls are set, dredge the chicken first in the flour, then egg, then bread crumbs.
- Cook chicken cordon bleu in oil for about 5 minutes per side or until the outside turns golden brown. If the chicken’s center has not reached 165F yet, place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and finish baking the chicken in the oven until the temperature has reached 325 F.
For the Dijon Sauce
- In a 1 ½ quart saucepan, prepare the sauce and cook it over medium heat, melt the butter, add the garlic and cook until it becomes soft, then add the flour and whisk it for about 1 minute.
- Add in the milk and combine it properly by whisking it with the roux and make sure that there are no remaining lumps in the mixture. Continue whisking until the mixture comes to a simmer and has thickened.
- Add the Parmesan cheese, mustard, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Remove the pan from heat.
- Slice the chicken and drizzle it with the Dijon sauce. Serve it hot with a side of fries or salad.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1440Total Fat: 72gSaturated Fat: 36gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 483mgSodium: 2388mgCarbohydrates: 84gFiber: 5gSugar: 5gProtein: 110g