French
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Golden double-breaded chicken roulades filled with delicate French ham and molten Gruyère, pan-fried crisp and finished gently in the oven.
4 servings · 45 minutes prep · 20 minutes cook
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts, 7–8 oz each
- 1 tsp
- 1/2 tsp, freshly ground
Filling
- 8 oz, Jambon de Paris or other high-quality French cooked ham, thinly sliced
- 8 oz, cut into batons approximately 1/4 inch thick and 3–4 inches long, or about 6 mm thick and 7.5–10 cm long
Breading
- 1/2 cup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp
- 1 cup
- 1/2 cup, freshly ground
- 1/2 cup
- 1/4 cup, finely grated
- 1/2 tsp
- 1/4 tsp, freshly ground
Directions
Pound, Fill, and Chill the Chicken
- Place each chicken breast between sheets of plastic wrap. Pound evenly to about 1/4 inch thick, forming a rectangle without tearing the meat, then season both sides with kosher salt and white pepper.
- Lay 2 oz of French ham over each breast, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place 2 oz of Gruyere batons across the lower third of each breast.
- Roll each breast tightly around the filling, folding in the sides to enclose the cheese. Wrap each roll firmly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends to compress it into an even cylinder.
- Refrigerate the wrapped chicken rolls for 1 1/2 hours. If any roll does not feel tightly sealed, secure it with 1-2 toothpicks or short lengths of butcher twine before breading.
Bread the Chicken
- Combine the fine dry breadcrumbs, toasted brioche crumbs, panko breadcrumbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, kosher salt, and white pepper in a shallow dish. Put the all-purpose flour in a second dish and whisk the eggs with the Dijon mustard in a third.
- Unwrap the chilled chicken. Dredge each roll lightly in flour, shaking off excess, dip into the egg mixture, then coat thoroughly in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Dip each breaded roll once more into the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumb mixture for a double coating. Refrigerate for another 15 minutes.
Fry and Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350F and set a wire rack over a sheet pan.
- Heat the avocado oil and unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium heat to 325-340F. Fry the chicken rolls, turning often, until evenly deep golden brown on all sides, about 8-10 minutes total.
- Transfer the rolls to the prepared rack and bake until the center of the chicken reaches 160F, about 12-15 minutes.
Rest and Serve
- Rest for 10 minutes so carryover cooking finishes the chicken while the filling stays creamy. Before slicing, verify the chicken reaches 165F; return it to the oven briefly if needed.
- Remove any toothpicks or twine. Slice each roll into thick rounds or serve whole immediately.
