Cordon Bleu: Easy Peasy Solution to “Holding it Together” made over two days!
When I first made this classic Cordon Bleu, it was at the top of its game, but I wasn’t. I fought the breast using toothpicks, string, and skewers. Nothing worked.
When mom and dad told me they wanted Cordon Blue as one of the main dishes for their 60th Wedding Anniversary, I hid my angst. “Sure, I can do it. Not a problem.” I was determined.
Cordon Bleu: Preparation
I read. I researched. I thought. Then I started. Good chicken is key. I bought the breasts with bone in and skin on. And I cleaned the breasts. Cleaning them yourself is lengthy, but the quality of breast for pounding is far superior to buying skinned, deboned breasts. It is also more economical and the bones and skin are great for stock! I also removed the tenders for a lovely little snack another time.
We also sliced the ham for the same reason, then laid it out with the Jarlsberg cheese. What else? We love garlic in our family and sweet, earthy Hungarian Paprika adds that little je ne sais quoi or a depth of flavour that elevates the taste profile.
I got out the meat tenderizer and I called my Chef Sous! I don’t like to cook alone when I am nervous. Vanja is a very good sport. We make a very good team.
Cordon Bleu: Process
He tenderized each breast, tender removed (and bagged for future dishes). He started gently pounding in the middle of the breast with the flat side of the tenderizer and worked to push the fibres of the meat outward. This flattened and enlarged the breast without ripping it.
I brushed each liberally with garlic and melted butter.
Sprinkled each generously with paprika, then salt and pepper.
Topped each lengthwise with one piece of ham and one and a half pieces of cheese.
Cordon Bleu: Rolling Tightly in Plastic Wrap is Key
Then rolled it up, pointed end in first. Now, comes the magic. This is the critical point of making Cordon Blue. This is when the swearing and sweating usually starts. But, not today.
I rolled each piece, one at a time, tightly. I lay each piece, one at a time on plastic wrap and rolled the wrap over each piece, folding the sides of the wrap up over the sides of each rolled piece, pulling tightly inward, then rolled it up completely ensuring both ends were folded tightly unto itself with the plastic wrap.
I did this with all forty of the breasts. Then, I tucked them into the fridge and cleaned up my mess. I was sure my idea was going to work some magic.
Cordon Bleu: Holding it Together
And, I was right! Rolling the chicken in the plastic wrap tightly and chilling it overnight created a memory within the chicken!
You can see that each roll held its shape and the ends “stick firmly together” so that the roll is now very easy to coat with flour, eggs, and panko! What a difference wrapping tightly and resting each role overnight makes. I was dancing in the kitchen! No more string, or toothpicks for me!
I seasoned the flour. I beat the free-range organic eggs. I poured out the Panko breadcrumbs. I poured the oil into a frying pan at medium high heat and I got rockin’ and rollin’ this cordon bleu!
I was not worried about cooking each one. I was worried about getting each sealed and golden.
Only the tiniest drop of cheese found its way out of one or two. Each was past perfect!
Once at room temperature, I wrapped them up and froze them. They re-heated and finished cooking on a cookie sheet prior to the big event! The butter, garlic, paprika, ham, cheese, and panko each elevated this beautiful Sunworks Farm chicken breast to a completely new level.
So, what was old is now new again in our household. No wonder this dish went viral in the 70’s. It is scrumptious! Time for it to rear its head again in this new era. I challenge you to try it! I guarantee you that you will love it!
Jan 13, 2011 @ 15:35
o man…look at your cordon bleu! Crispy, tender and succulent…and that melting oozy out cheese..plus Black Forest ham…I am on the cloud 9.
Well done!
i don’t eat ham, but this DOES look delicious. thanks for the plastic wrap and refrigerating overnight tips. i can just taste the cripsy panko crumbs, the juicy chicken, and the oeey gooey cheese right now. when i order this at restaurants, i take out the ham and give it to Gary. now that i know how to make this, i can just leave out the ham altogether on my piece or sub it with something else. thanks for sharing this, Valerie. oh, and you and Vanja make a great team in and out of the kitchen 😉
hope you’re having a great week!
Classically delicious!
Wow, beautifully done. I tend to shy away from things that look like this. I see that beautiful rolly polly and I think that is waaaaaaaay to hard for me. I admire you for being so adventurous. Vanja is a lucky guy to get to have this for dinner!
Have a wonderful weekend ahead!
*kisses* HH
HH! Did you see how easy it was to do with wrapping it and chilling it overnight? I really would love to see you try it. It is SO easy with this step!
🙂
Valerie
OH one of my favortie dishes, I have seen so many people try to cook this in an easier way with litte results, I myself have made them open faced..came out dry, wrapped and let to rest overnight, how simple, but so genuis..also gives it so much more presentation, perfectly shaped and each plate matches..great tip valerie, I see myself using this tip in the future..have a great weekend
sweetlife
Sweetlife:
YAYAYAYAY! It is so exciting when you discover the simplest little thing that makes such a difference and “get” to share it!
🙂
Valerie
This is a brilliant tutorial that couldn’t come at a better time. I’ve been having the darndest time with stuffing chicken breasts this week.
bellini
to me
show details 3:45 PM (19 hours ago)
Message body:
Comments are closed for you latest post Valerie so I just wanted to let you know I loved your last posts. Fantastic idea to set your chicken cordon blue in the refrigerator wrapped in saran wrap. This would work wonders. I have always used uncooked spaghetti to hold my rolls together which also works well but this makes a lot of sense.Love that you spice them inside as well as out too.
Looks great! I haven’t made it in years. I think you did a super job with it and your photos are perfect. It’s so nice and crunchy on the outside and tender inside. Bet your mom and dad were so pleased!
I have had Chicken Cordon Bleu for such a long time! Just looking at it is making my mouth water. Thanks for the great tips on how to hold it together!
VFal..brilliant idea to hold the cordon blue together! I used to wrap filled and rolled chicken breasts in plastic wrap and poach them. Platic wrap is our friend when it comes to holding it all together. lol Seriously, who needs kitchen twine for cordon blue, or even worse, toothpicks, which always end up stabbing me at some point, just when I think I removed all of them before taking a bite! I went through a phase of cordon blue and kiev and anything I could wrap in a pounded chicken breast, I wish I knew about the plastic wrap trick then!
That said, they look gorgeous and I wish i could grab one out of the page. Amazing photos too!
Finally, I can’t wait to see your take on cassoulet, and my god..duck confit is just food of the gods!
Lisa –
I have made duck confit so many times. I MUST post it. I will post it before I make the cassoulet… but I will definitely be making that as I have promised to use more lentils, legumes, etc… this year – and come on – pork belly? It’s gotta be good.
🙂
Valerie
Oops..make that Cordon BlEu..lol I always mess it up because I insist on calling Blue cheese, blue cheese, in lieu of bleu cheese that some prefer. 😛
these.are.perfect. this post will absolutely come in handy for me – i absolutely LOVE rolled chicken breasts, but i ALWAYS end up stuffing them because my rolls don’t work out, ever. stuffed really isn’t so bad of course, but rolls are so pretty with the ham and cheese all perfect and delicious looking. my sous chef is no help in the kitchen – oh, except for doing dishes – so i can’t complain too much 🙂
Aaahhh yes, this exactly one of the many cheffy tricks that works especially well for poultry. You’ve done well here Val, these look magical, I really love this dish when made from scratch.
Anna,
What other cheffy tricks are up your sleeve – not knowing this took years of missing out – then, voila – I thought of it and it worked. I knew it must have been discovered and used by others. It was too easy = but I have never read about it before. Think of other such “life saving tricks”, Anna – and Share, Share, Share!!!
XO
Valerie
Hey Valerie, you know, I’ve never had this dish, but it must be delicious to have such hype behind it. Yours looks really perfect and delicious! I really wouldn’t expect any less of someone who loves food and all things culinary so much though-really:) Oh, and I love that your parents asked for this-another lovely dish adored by their generation for sure. I hope they had a great anniversary.
p.s. Thanks so much for your sweet comment on my ‘oatmeal’ post. And you’re right on with your advice. For sure…! Now I just need to put things into practice…yikes!
Brilliant. I can’t believe you made Cordon Bleu for 40 people! Very ambitious. Makes my mouth water, too.
You went to a lot of work for two people that you loved. What a gorgeous recipe! I know it’s kind of old-fashioned, but this post makes me feel like revisiting it.
You are such a natural at educating people with all your tricks and tips.What an accomplishment to conquer the dish as well as serve it to your parents who have achieved another accomplishment of being married for 60 years. Cheers to them and to you.
Valerie, I can’t say enough about this dish and that wonderful technique of yours. You’re definitely a great mind!
I will have to make this recipe as this looks too good to pass up.
Your family is really fortunate to have a team like you and Hubby at the healm ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia
Valerie
You are suddenly giving me the urge to make this dish; I had decided long ago I would never attempt to make it myself and would only eat it under duress. Too much trouble to make I thought and not good to eat when it is mass-produced. Love the paprika from Belgrade and the little touches like the garlic and slathering of butter, it is all in the details. the ham too is the best kind for this. Yum!!!
Absolutely delicious – what superb tips. I haven’t made this in a couple of years. Back to the basics with a serious uumph! Thanks