Name: Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe
Ingredients: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, weighing about 1-1/2 lb total (if your chicken breasts are very large, split them in half horizontally); Kosher salt and black pepper; 4 slices of ham, sliced thin for sandwiches (a smokier ham is better); 4 slices alpine cheese (Swiss, Gruyere, Appenzeller, even Fontina); 1 C dry bread crumbs; 1/4–1/3 C finely chopped fresh parsley; 1 large egg; 1 Tbsp water; 1/2 C flour; 4 Tbsp high smoke-point oil (corn, peanut, grapeseed, etc.)

Description

Chicken Cordon Bleu, adapted from Bon Appetit, who took it from Joy of Cooking, 2019 edition.

Ingredients

Scale

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, weighing about 1-1/2 lb total (if your chicken breasts are very large, split them in half horizontally)
Kosher salt and black pepper
4 slices of ham, sliced thin for sandwiches (a smokier ham is better)
4 slices alpine cheese (Swiss, Gruyere, Appenzeller, even Fontina)
1 C dry bread crumbs
1/4–1/3 C finely chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg
1 Tbsp water
1/2 C flour
4 Tbsp high smoke-point oil (corn, peanut, grapeseed, etc.)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375°F (191°C).
Using two sheets of plastic wrap or a gallon-sized freezer bag, pound out your chicken breasts until about 1/4″ thick. Season each piece with some salt and pepper.
On each piece of flattened chicken, place one piece of cheese (tear it if necessary), and one piece of ham.
Fold the chicken over the filling and press the edges. You won’t get a tight seal, but you won’t need one.

Prepare your breading station by putting the flour on a plate, whisking the egg and water together in a bowl, and combining the breadcrumbs in a bowl with the parsley, 1.25 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.

Coat each piece of chicken in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumb mixture. Set them aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet until it reaches 325–350°F (163–177°C). Keep an eye on the temperature using your Thermapen ONE.
Fry the breaded, filled chicken pieces in the oil until just golden brown on each side. They will not have cooked through. Work in batches, if necessary.
Place the chicken pieces on a cooling rack set in a baking sheet.

Insert the probe from your ChefAlarm (an optional needle probe is excellent for this) and set the high-temp alarm to 160°F (71°C).
Place the pan with the chicken in the oven, keeping your ChefAlarm outside the oven. Cook until the high-temp alarm sounds, about 5-10 minutes.

When the alarm sounds, verify that the chicken is cooked through with your Thermapen ONE by inserting it through a piece of chicken in the center of its surface, and pulling it slowly up through the meat to look for its lowest reading. If you see nothing below 160°F (71°C), the chicken is done!
Allow the chicken to rest for just a minute or two, and serve.