What is cordon bleu?
Cordon bleu (also known as schnitzel cordon bleu) is a meat dish, typically chicken, rolled with cheese or ham and cheese, then breaded and fried to a very appetizing golden color. There are some versions made with beef or pork instead of chicken.
This dish is originally from Switzerland, although today it is widely spread throughout France.
What is the origin of cordon bleu?
The cordon bleu as it was known until then, a schnitzel stuffed with cheese, was born in Brig, in Switzerland, during the 1940s. Officially, it appeared for the first time in a cookbook in 1949. The version with chicken, known today, only became popular in 1967 after being published in The New York Times.
The French term “cordon bleu” means “blue string”. According to the Larousse Gastronomique dictionary, the cordon bleu was originally a wide blue ribbon used by members of the highest order of nobility, L’Ordre des Chevaliers du Saint-Esprit, created by Henry III of France in 1578. Because of this, the term began to be used to refer to dishes that require great care or precision when prepared, or prepared by extraordinary chefs.
Undoubtedly, this analogy came to the world of cooking as a comparison between the ribbon used by the nobles and the ribbon, usually blue as well, of the chefs’ aprons.
How to prepare cordon bleu?
Preparing cordon bleu is rather easy, it does not have too many steps and does not require too many ingredients. The most important step is undoubtedly to close it well after rolling it so that the cheese does not come out, but beyond that there should not be any difficulty in preparing it.
To do so, the first thing to do is to cut chops of the chosen meat rather thin and open them butterfly style so that they are even thinner. Although they can be seasoned to taste, traditionally they are only seasoned with salt and pepper.
Once the meat is ready, it is time to roll it up. A slice of ham and a piece of cheese should be placed in the center and then rolled up tightly and taken to the refrigerator for approximately 45 minutes or 1 hour so that it settles well.
Once it is ready, the cordon bleu is covered with flour, then with beaten egg and finally with a layer of breadcrumbs. All the schnitzels should be fried in the chosen fat until both sides are golden brown, and finally finished cooking in the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Although there is no stipulated accompaniment for this dish, it is usually served with French fries, mashed potatoes, rice or even salad.
What are the variations?
Throughout the world, the versions of different types of meat breaded and then fried are countless – and there are also many that include cheese inside. Traditional cordon bleu can be prepared with a few variations, including baking instead of frying, placing ham on top of the chicken, using bacon instead of ham, or eliminating the breadcrumb coating altogether.
There is even a version called “cordon bleu de prosciutto” which is ham wrapped around cheese and mushrooms.
Among the international options, this dish is very well known in different Muslim countries where of course the version prepared is halal. This means that the chicken is stuffed with cheese and some type of meat such as beef or lamb to avoid using pork.
In Spain, specifically in the province of Asturias, there is cachopo. This dish is nothing more than a beef or chicken cutlet rolled up just like cordon bleu and stuffed with Serrano ham and some melting cheese. Generally, if it is the version made with chicken, it is called San Jacobo.
Finally, in Uruguay and Argentina, people use the term “stuffed milanesa“. The milanesa is nothing more than a filet of beef, pork, chicken or fish in batter and fried, and in its stuffed version, it is simply folded in half and stuffed with ham and mozzarella cheese. This dish is commonly served with French fries, although there are also those who enjoy it with salad.
Cordon Bleu
Ingredients
- 2 veal cutlets (or pork or chicken cutlets)
- 1 large slice raw ham
- 5 oz. Comté cheese
- 1 large egg
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- Salt
- Pepper
- Butter (or clarified butter or sunflower oil, for cooking)
Equipment
- Meat mallet
- Baking dish
Instructions
- Butterfly the cutlets.
- Depending on their size, flatten them a little using a meat mallet. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Cut the slice of ham in half.
- On each flattened cutlet, place a piece of ham, then thin slices of Comté.
- Fold each cutlet in half and place in the refrigerator for 45 minutes.
- Pour the flour into a deep dish.
- Beat the egg in a second hollow dish.
- Pour the breadcrumbs into a third hollow dish.
- Roll the first cordon bleu in the flour and tap it to remove the excess.
- Then dip it in the egg.
- Finally, roll it generously in the breadcrumbs.
- Proceed in the same way for the second cordon bleu.
- Preheat the oven to 300 F (150°C).
- Heat a generous amount of fat (butter, clarified butter or sunflower oil) in a skillet over medium heat.
- As soon as the fat reaches a temperature of 340 F (170°C), dip each cordon bleu into it and fry them on both sides, until golden brown.
- Remove the cordons bleus, place them in a baking dish, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.
Video
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Hands Doing Things is the brainchild of Sabri and Bian, who combined their passion for food with their professional careers of writing & photography, and filmmaking.
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