Chicken Cordon Bleu

April 4: National Chicken Cordon Bleu Day

At a get-together with our Ukrainian friend, Olga W., we sampled regional Russian cuisine, such as pierogi, borscht and Chicken Kiev. She mentioned that by adding ham and cheese to the rolled chicken cutlets, Chicken Kiev becomes Chicken Cordon Bleu. While the recipe sounds French in origin, this “blue ribbon” dish is actually a 20th century American invention inspired by European roulades and breaded meats. We baked instead of fried our version of Chicken Cordon Bleu and coated it in panko for a crunchier texture. It is a nice change for a chicken meal and most appropriate to make on National Chicken Cordon Bleu Day.

Recipe

(Adapted from WiseGeek)

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, thinly sliced and pounded to ¼-inch thick
• 4 slices ham
• 4 slices Swiss or Gruyère cheese
• ¼ cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 2 teaspoons thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• olive oil

Directions

Prepare the chicken. Place the ham and cheese on top of each slice of chicken. Tightly roll them up, securing with a toothpick.

Make an assembly line of flour, egg and panko (pre-mix the panko with thyme and garlic powder). Dredge the chicken in the flour, then egg and finally panko. Place in a baking pan with the seams side down. Drizzle some olive oil over the chicken.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink inside. Remove from the oven. Discard the toothpicks before serving. Serve whole or slice in half to expose the ham and melting cheese.

Notes

• Sometimes a little gravy is poured over the chicken before serving. To make the gravy, bring ½ cup chicken broth to a boil in a suacepan. Reduce the heat and whisk in 1 cup heavy cream. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little dried oregano to taste. Stir until the gravy is thickened. Spoon over the Chicken Cordon Bleu.
• Read about the background of Chicken Cordon Bleu on the eHow and Food Timeline websites.