Hi There
Welcome back to our page and we have a new recipe up just for you. We understand how many people dont want to cook because of varous reasons. So we are trying to change the way we present our recipes to you hoping that it will encourage to pick up an apron and a pan.
We chose this dish, Chicken Cordon Bleu, for several reasons. First, it is really easy to cook. Second, it is really fast to cook. Third, it is really delicious. So there you have it, 3 very good reasons why you should think of challenging yourself to this.
First up, as always, I would like to introduce the ingredients to you. These were bought from Cold Storage so it was slightly pricy.
Chicken Breast is the preferred choice of meat here for the main reason of it being large enough to house the filling that we will put into a short while later. But it gets really tender, juicy and flavourful when it is done just right. Besides, it can be considered a healthier cut of meat.
The next ingredient that we would like to introduce is Smoked Ham. This is an ingredient was required by most recipes and I used this today but I supposed that it would really taste much better if you use Streaky Bacon.
Next, Mozarella Cheese. For this time, I decided to try using the sliced Mozarella Cheese. Nope, not too good. My advice is to use the shredded Mozarella Cheese. It tasted so much better the last time when I used the shredded Mozarella Cheese.
So now, you need to remove the skin and de-boned the Chicken Breast. It is much better to ask the seller to do all these for you so when you reach home, you just need to wash them.
Get some kitchen towels and pat dry the meat.
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I prefer to pat dry this way but just make sure that the kitchen towel doesnt stick the meat.
The Chicken Breast would usually have the Chicken Fillet attached so remove the fillet and you will have something like what you see above.
Remove the ham from its packaging and cut it into smaller pieces. This will go into the chicken breast in a littlet while.
Cut the Mozarella Cheese slice into smaller pieces and prepare to put them into the Chicken Breast.
Carefully arrange it in the Chicken Breast. Do note that you only need to place it on one side. DO NOT put on two sides. Make sure that the smoked ham fits well so that it does not come out at the edges.
Do the same for the Mozarella.
Once you are done, fold the Chicken Breast by folding over the other side. Therefore, make sure that you do not stuff too much ingredients so that it does not drop out.
Repeat the same process for all the Chicken Breast. Typically for one Chicken Breast, I will put about 1/2 slice or 3/4 slice of smoked ham and about 1 slice of Mozarella Cheese. If you are using the Shredded Mozarella Cheese, then use about 2 pinchful.
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I have in this pic several done Chicken Breasts. Im starting to feel excited thinking about the crisp and taste when it is fried.
In a plate, pour some Plain Flour. This is basically for the coating. Try using a plate or something else with a larger surface area so that it is easier when you dust it in flour.
Get an egg and break it into a plate or bowl. It will also be used for the coating.
Beat the egg till it is fluffy and then it is quite ready for coating. In another plate, place some breadcrumbs.
You can choose to buy the breadcrumbs or make some yourself. If you intend to buy, there is 2 types of breadcrumbs. One is much finer and the other is rougher. I bought the latter so you can see that it is coarser.
Here comes the seasoning. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of dried Thyme, generous portion of black pepper and about 1/4 teaspoon of salt or slightly lesser to your plate of breadcrumbs. Mix well.
Ok. So it will look something like that after you have mixed it well. While mixing, you can actually smell the dried herbs, salt and pepper all being blended into the breadcrumbs. Starting to feel good.
So basically, take one piece of stuffed Chicken Breast and coat it with flour. So make sure that all parts of the meat are well coated. Dust off or shake off the excess flour and coat it in the plate of beaten egg. Now it feels slippery because of the egg so do be careful. Quickly coat it with breadcrumbs.
Ok, so this is an example of a Chicken Breast that has finished coating. Remember, it is first to the flour, then to the egg and lastly to the breadcrumbs. Repeat the process for all the Chicken Breast and set it aside for 1 hour. You can set it aside in the fridge or in the open. I left it in the fridge.
An hour later, get your pan ready. Heat it and add oil. Once the oil and pan has heated up, you can start frying the Chicken Breast.
Ok. Remember not to overcook the Chicken Breast or it will become dry and hard. What we want to achieve is actually tender and juicy meat. On a low medium heat, cook the chicken for 4 minutes per side. We want it low medium heat so that the chicken will be able to cook nicely without getting too brown or burnt on the outside. This is because the Chicken Breast are very thick and you need to allow time for the meat to cook. Once both sides are done for 4 minutes, turn up the fire to high heat so and keep the chicken in there so that both sides are a colour of nice golden brown.
Just look at the beautiful colour of the chicken as you brown the sides. Beautiful. Meanwhile, you may prepare a side salad to go with your meal. I prepared a simple Garden Greens with Basil Infused Olive Oil to pair my chicken with.
Nice. Just a little something more for you. A picture below to show you when it is cut, the meat looks perfectly good.
Thank you for your interest in this recipe. Do give it a try and let us know what you did to improve this recipe.
Cheers!