Thursday, March 12, 2009

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Mornay Sauce

Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes.
Chicken Cordon Bleu

Serve with: Mashed potatoes, steamed string beans.

4 Boneless Breast of Chicken
4 1oz. slices of top quality ham, or proscuitto
4 1oz. slices of cheese, either Swiss, Grugere, Emmenthaler, or Jarlsburg
3 eggs
3oz. water
1½ cups flour
2 cups bread crumbs
salt & pepper to taste
16oz Canola Oil

Mornay Sauce
12oz. milk
1 bay leaf
1 clove
½ medium size onion
3 Tblsp. flour
3 Tblsp. butter
4 oz. swiss cheese grated
salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste

Chicken

1. Place chicken breast on clean cutting board and place your palm on top of the breast. Using a sharp knife, position the heal of the knife parallel to the board. Without cutting all the through, at the middle of the thickness of the chicken, gently insert the knife in one simple and careful motion, pull the knife through the chicken, but do not cut it completely in half.

The chicken breast will open up like a book. This is called a butterfly cut. Repeat with remaining breasts. (You can also ask your butcher to butterfly the breasts for you when you purchase them.)

2. Slightly pound out the chicken breasts with a meat mallet. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

3. Pair one slice of ham with one slice of cheese and tri-fold so the ham encompasses the cheese. Place each one on half of the chicken breast and fold over encasing the ham and cheese in the chicken.

4. Lightly season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper. Put them all in the freezer for about 45 minutes.

Tips

a) By partially freezing the chicken, it will make it easier to handle while breading. This is optional.

b) When sandwiching the ham & cheese in the chicken, be sure to completely encase the ham & cheese with the chicken. This is also a good time to trim the chicken breast of any odd pieces of fat or chicken for a uniform appearance.

5. In three separate containers set up your breading station. 1) flour, 2) eggs & water, 3) bread crumbs

Place the breast in the flour and coat. Make sure to knock off excess flour. Then place in egg wash and coat allowing excess to drip off. Then make a well in the bread crumbs and put chicken in the well and cover with bread crumbs. Press down firmly with the palm of your hand pressing bread crumbs onto chicken. Remove and knock off excess crumbs. Repeat for all breasts.

Tips

a) Try to keep one hand for wet and one for dry while breading. This makes an easier clean up. Remember the chicken is wet.

b) Disposable gloves are also useful.

c) At this point you can store in a ziploc, in the freezer for future use remaining flour and bread crumbs for up to 3 months.

6. In a skillet, preferably cast iron, heat canola oil on medium-high for a couple of minutes and cook two at a time, browning both sides. If the oil is smoking, it is too hot. Place on a cookie sheet and finish in a 350° oven for 17 minutes. Make mornay sauce while it is the oven.

7. Place Cordon Bleu on a bed of mornay sauce and garnish with a sprig of parsley.


Mornay Sauce

1. Add butter to a 2 qt. sauce pot and melt on medium heat.

2. Add flour and milk with a wire whip constantly for 5-10 minutes or until mixture is a light blonde color and smells nutty.

FYI - this is known as a blonde or pale roux. Most rouxs are 50% butter, fat or oil and 50% flour. They need to be cooked to at least this stage in order to maintain their thickening ability.

3. Scald (boil) your milk in another pan, or in the microwave. Take the milk and add couple ounces at a time to hot roux incorporating each time with a whip until all the milk is added.

4. Add onion, bay leaf and cloves and bring to a boil. Reduce to a light simmer and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally fo 10 minutes.

5. Remove onion, bay leaf and cloves with a skimmer.

6. Add cheese and allow to melt.

7. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Strain and serve.

Notes:

It is always necessary to scald milk prior to adding to something hot. This keeps the milk from separating or curdling.

Nutmeg is a spice that is used to finish the flavor of many sauces, creamed dishes and potatos along with seafood to lamb and even desserts. The best advice I can give you with this spice and any other multi ingredient recipe is that if it is used properly it will be well balanced and almost unidentifiable, but without, would not be as good.

Wine Selection: 1998 Acacia Chardonnay has a nice balance of apple and pear, creamy with hints of mild oak.

Makes 4 servings.


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