Chicken Cordon Bleu (Sous Vide)

My Adventures with Sous Vide Chicken Cordon Bleu

As a busy working mom, finding time to cook delicious and healthy meals can feel like a constant juggling act. Weekends are precious, and I often crave satisfying meals that don't require hours in the kitchen. That's where sous vide cooking has become my absolute lifesaver. It allows me to prepare meals in advance, ensuring delicious dinners even on the busiest of weeknights. This particular recipe, the Sous Vide Chicken Cordon Bleu, is a testament to the magic of sous vide. It’s elegant enough for a dinner party yet simple enough for a Tuesday night.

The traditional Chicken Cordon Bleu, with its crispy coating and savory ham and cheese filling, always held a special place in my heart. However, the frying aspect always felt like a bit of a chore, a messy undertaking requiring constant attention. Sous vide changed all that. The process is remarkably straightforward. The chicken is cooked perfectly, resulting in incredibly juicy and tender meat every single time. The initial prep is slightly longer due to the careful flattening and rolling of the chicken, but this is a one-time effort that yields incredible results. The actual cooking time is minimal, with the sous vide doing all the heavy lifting. Once the chicken is cooked to perfection in its water bath, the pan-frying step simply adds a beautiful golden-brown crispiness. The result is a restaurant-quality meal achieved with relative ease.

Beyond the Recipe: Embracing Efficiency

Beyond the specific recipe, I want to emphasize the larger point about embracing efficiency in the kitchen. I’m not talking about sacrificing quality or flavor; rather, I'm advocating for smart strategies that allow us to enjoy delicious, homemade meals without feeling overwhelmed. Sous vide is just one tool in my arsenal. I also utilize meal prepping techniques to batch-cook components like grains and roasted vegetables, making weeknight dinners a breeze. This isn’t about perfection; it’s about finding a balance between creating nourishing meals and maintaining a sustainable lifestyle. We deserve delicious food without the endless stress and time commitment.

The Joy of Experimentation: Adapting the Classic

The beauty of cooking, particularly with a technique like sous vide, is the freedom it offers for experimentation. While this recipe provides a delightful rendition of the classic Chicken Cordon Bleu, don’t hesitate to adapt it to your preferences. Feel free to swap out the ham for prosciutto or another favorite cured meat. Experiment with different cheeses, perhaps incorporating a creamy Gruyère or a sharp cheddar. You can also adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes, adding a touch of garlic powder or herbs for additional flavor depth. The sous vide method ensures that your experiment will be successful, leading to exciting new culinary discoveries.

Beyond the Dinner Table: The Art of Sharing

Cooking isn’t just about nourishment; it’s about connection. Sharing a meal, especially one you've lovingly prepared, fosters a sense of community and warmth. I often make extra portions of my sous vide creations, freezing some for future meals or sharing with neighbors and friends. It’s a small gesture that can brighten someone's day and strengthens the bonds we share. Food brings people together, and sous vide allows me to bring people together with less effort and more joy.

So, give this Sous Vide Chicken Cordon Bleu recipe a try. Embrace the efficiency, savor the deliciousness, and allow yourself the freedom to experiment. You’ll discover a new level of enjoyment in the kitchen, and at the dinner table.

Step-by-step

• Fill the SousVide Supreme with hot water and then pre-heat to 146F/63.5C
• Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and carefully cut through the breasts horizontally, to make them larger and flatter, so they opens up like a book.
• Place each breast between cling-film and then "beat" them with a rolling pin to make them thinner and flatter.
• Spread the Dijon mustard over each flattened breast, before adding a slice of ham and then sit the piece of cheese in the middle of each ham covered breast.
• Roll up the chicken breast, being careful to enclose all of the filling, use tooth picks to keep the chicken roll closed if necessary, or roll in cling-film and allow to cool in the fridge.
• When you are ready to cook the chicken, place two chicken breasts in one large food pouch, or place them all in an extra large pouch and vacuum/seal them.
• Place the sealed pouches in the SousVide Supreme machine, using the rack to sit the pouches in, and cook for 2 hours.
• Remove the chicken from the machine, allow to cool slightly and then carefully open the pouches.
• Place the flour (seasoned with salt and pepper), beaten egg and breadcrumbs in three large separate bowls, and then start to coat the chicken breasts - cover them in flour first, then in the egg and then finally in the breadcrumbs.
• Cover and put the coated chicken breasts in the fridge until you need to cook them, or, cook them straight away.
• Heat up some vegetable oil in a large roomy frying pan.
• Fry each chicken breast in the hot oil, turning them over to make sure they are light golden brown and crisp on all sides, the chicken is already cooked, so this is just to cook the outside coating.
• You can oven-bake them for 15 to 20 minutes if you like, in a pre-heated oven 200C/400F/Gas mark 6.
• Drain the chicken on some paper towels, and then serve immediately with chips and peas for a real retro revival! Or, with salad for a lighter, healthier meal.