Chicken Cordon Bleu-Wellington Style Recipe

Chicken Cordon Bleu Wellington (Recipe is for individual or 2 servings depending on appetite. Prep time 15 minutes plus 30 minutes baking time)

3 eggs

juice of 1 lemon

½ C. butter

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlet

1 slice ham

2 slices Swiss cheese

2 C. washed spinach leaves

1 sheet puff pastry

¼ tsp. oregano

salt and pepper 

Thaw puff pastry sheet and keep slightly cooler than room temperature.

Pound chicken cutlet between plastic wrap with a rolling pin until about ¼ inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper and set aside.

For the Hollandaise Sauce: Separate the three eggs, reserving the whites to be used as an egg wash.  Cut the butter into cubes, dividing it into ¼ C. portions. Add yolks to a medium sauce pan over very low heat and whisk.  Drop in the first ¼ C. cubed butter and continue to whisk as the butter melts.  Keep it over low heat to avoid scrambling the eggs.  Once the first portion of butter is melted in, drop in the other half of the butter cubes and continue whisking until that, too, is melted and incorporated and the sauce has thickened to a consistency about the same as a thin pancake batter.  Remove pan from heat.  Roll the lemon on the counter with the palm of your hand to release the juices.  Cut in half and squeeze each half into your hand over the pot to catch the seeds and stir the juice. 

Preheat oven to 375.

In a dry skillet, start heating the cleaned spinach leaves (I remove the stems) over medium heat.  When the leaves start to sizzle, spoon a scant ¼ C. of the Hollandaise sauce into the pan and stir, coating the spinach as it wilts.

Place the chicken on a piece of wax paper and layer the ham and Swiss cheese on the chicken.  Spoon the spinach mixture down the center of the cutlet and roll into a tight log.   Place the puff pastry onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and just hand press the sheet, leaving it at almost full thickness.  (Covering the chicken with puff pastry instead of bread crumbs it makes it much like a Beef Wellington.) Place the chicken roll on one edge of the pastry. Fold up ends and pinch to seal.  Roll the chicken up in the pastry, trimming any of the excess on the long edge and pinch to seal.  Position the chicken seam-side down on the baking sheet.  With a fork, beat a couple tablespoons of water into the egg white and brush onto the pastry to help it brown.  Sprinkle oregano on top.  If the pastry feels too warm, refrigerate it for a few minutes.  The dough should be cold so the butter in it will pop, resulting in that croissant flaky property after it bakes. (You can use that trimmed pastry to make a couple dinner rolls.) Bake at 375 for about a half hour until the crust is golden brown.

Gently re-warm the Hollandaise over very low heat about 25 minutes into the baking.  If the sauce begins to curdle, whisk in a little warm water and it will return to its smooth consistency.

Once the crust is brown and crisp, remove the Chicken Cordon Bleu from oven and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes before slicing in half at an angle. Spoon a little of the rich Hollandaise over the top, and a little puddle on the plate. Garnish with chopped parsley.

This doesn’t really need a lot of side dishes since it already has a bread, vegetable, dairy and meat all in one package.

Save leftover sauce for eggs benedict or for over fish or beef. Reheat the sauce over low heat, again, water can be added if it starts to clot or becomes too thick. 

Thanks to Down to Earth Whole Foods, Grant Ave., Endicott, for sponsoring Foodie Fridays.  They will deliver your purchase of $25 right to your door free!  See them for organic, free range meats, fresh vegetables, fruit and other items like supplements.