Skip to main content

Chicken Cordon Bleu - Supremes de Volaille Cordon Bleu

Image may contain Food Fried Chicken and Nuggets
Chicken Cordon Bleu - Supremes de Volaille Cordon Bleu Cookbook cover image courtesy of Random House

This old "gourmet" standby can indeed be spectacular, or it can be exceedingly dull. Everything rests on the quality of the ingredients. With good cheese, first-rate ham, homemade crumbs, and a little care in the cooking, you can't go wrong. If, however, you use indifferent, packaged boiled ham and ordinary cheese, and add insult to injury by overcooking them, you'll kill yourself wondering what all the fuss is about.

Ingredients

Serves 4

2 whole boneless chicken breasts, skinned, split into halves, and trimmed
2 ounces thinly sliced uncooked country ham or prosciutto
4 ounces Gruyère cheese
Dijon mustard
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups dry bread crumbs
Peanut oil, for frying
  1. Step 1

    One: Wash the chicken and pat dry. Place the chicken breasts skinned side up on a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Cover them with a second sheet of paper or wrap and, with a flat (not textured) wooden mallet, lightly beat them until flattened to a uniform thinness of less than 1/4 inch. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Two: Cut the ham and cheese into thin slices 1/2 inch wide and 2 inches long. Break the egg into a shallow bowl and beat until smooth. Spread the crumbs on a second shallow bowl. Spread the flour on a dinner plate.

    Step 3

    Three: Lay the chicken pieces on a flat work surface skinned side down. Lightly spread the inside of each breast with a little mustard (don't use too much or the mustard will overpower the other flavors). Stack 2 slices of cheese and a slice of ham (2 if they are very thin) in the center of each breast. Fold over the small side of the breast, then fold each end up, like an envelope, and finally fold over the large side. Make sure that the filling is completely encased. Roll the chicken first in the flour, shake off the excess, and dip each breast in the egg, allowing the excess to flow back into the bowl. Lay it in the crumbs. Roll it carefully so that it doesn't open up (crumbs should not get inside the folds or they won't stay closed when it cooks), patting the crumbs into all sides. When the piece is coated, lay it on a clean, dry plate and repeat until all the pieces are breaded. Set aside for at least half an hour to allow the breading to set. (You may make them several hours or even a day ahead up to this point. Cover and refrigerate, but take them out at least half an hour before cooking.)

    Step 4

    Four: Fill a deep Dutch oven, or a deep-fat fryer with enough peanut oil to come halfway up the sides, at least 2 inches deep. Over medium-high heat, bring the oil to 375°F (hot but not smoking). Add the chicken and fry until golden brown, maintaining a temperature of 365°F, about 4 to 5 minutes.

    Step 5

    Five: Drain well and serve at once.

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 320.0 calories
100.0 calories from fat
12.0g total fat
6.0g saturated fat
35.0mg cholesterol
950.0mg sodium
36.0g total carbs
2.0g dietary fiber
3.0g sugars
17.0g protein
#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook
using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )
FromFried Chicken: The World's Best Recipes from Memphis to Milan, from Buffalo to Bangkokby Damon Lee Fowler. Copyright © 1999 by Damon Lee Fowler. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.Damon Lee Fowleris the author ofBeans, Greens, and Sweet Georgia PeachesandClassical Southern Cooking, which was nominated for two IACP/Julia Child Cookbook Awards and a James Beard Award. A nationally recognized authority on Southern cooking, he lives in Savannah, Georgia.
Sign InorSubscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Chicken Cordon Bleu - Supremes de Volaille Cordon Bleu?

Leave a Review

  • 我以前的评论,抱歉我所谓的“change" #1. I realized (too late) that the ingredients I said I substituted are actually what's called for in the recipe. I guess I was thinking "cordon bleu = ham and swiss" and forgot where I got the idea for proscuitto and gruyere. Again, sorry for the confusion! But my #2 change is still (very) accurate.

    • helen007

    • 2/12/2013

  • I made these pretty much according to the recipe with a couple of important changes. (1) Instead of ham and swiss, I used proscuitto and gruyere; and (2) although I deep-fried them per the recipe, there is no way that could possibly cook them enough. Therefore, after deep-frying, I baked them for about 20 minutes in a 350-degree oven. With these two changes (esp. the latter), they were very good.

    • helen007

    • 2/12/2013

  • As one other reviewer did, I browned the chicken and then baked. Perhaps deep frying is essential to making this dish spectacular, but I just can't deep fry (anything). It was good, but not anything special.

    • simpitt

    • 12/29/2012

  • I would have given this 4 forks, but I changed up the recipe a bit. I used Virginia ham by Boar's Head sliced very thin. (I couldn't find uncooked ham, even in our gourmet grocery store.) I also added chopped basil to the filling before rolling the breasts which was excellent. I mixed in panko breadcrumbs with Italian seasoned bread crumbs which crisps up the coating a bit. Rather than deep frying, I browned the rolled breasts on all sides (1-2 mins per side) in a little olive oil in a frying pan, then baked at 325 for 15 minutes. It was moist but cooked through and delicious. I also topped the meat with a Hollandaise sauce which was perfect.

    • lmmack

    • La Selva Beach, CA

    • 5/3/2010

Read More
Pollo Rostizado con Naranja y Chile de Árbol (Orange-and-Chile Roast Chicken)
This Orange-and-Chile Roast Chicken brings together all the many lessons I’ve learned from roasting chickens over the years.
Sabzi Khordan (Fresh Herb Platter)
Sabzi khordan translates to “herbs for eating,” so… just eat it.
Easy, Elegant Christmas Punch
This understated holiday punch has a cognac base brightened by a simple lemon syrup and lightly sweet sherry.
Black Cake
This fruitcake-like dessert is finished with generous dose of dark rum.
Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes and Leeks With Thyme
Store these creamy, perfectly seasoned make-ahead mashed potatoes overnight right in a buttered casserole dish, then just rewarm before serving.
Jersey Lightning
The Jersey Lightning is so easy and so excellent. Whatever you call it, a manhattan simply made with apple brandy is a wonderful thing.
Irish Soda Bread With Raisins
This easy Irish soda bread recipe gets a little tang from buttermilk and pops of concentrated sweetness from dried fruit.