CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
Ever since I was a kid working in catering halls to pay for college, I’ve been fascinated by how delicious this simple dish is. Though the original has ample amounts of oozing butter, this version doesn’t have any butter in it at all, and it still tastes great. Pay close attention to the cooking time so the chicken doesn’t dry out, and prepare the sauce 2 hours ahead of cooking time. Serves 4
½ cup evaporated skim milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray
4 chicken cutlets (4 ounces each), pounded very thin
3 ounces thinly sliced lean ham (from the deli counter)
⅓ cup whole-wheat flour
1½ cups whole-wheat panko breadcrumbs, such as Ian’s All-Natural
4 large egg whites
1. In a small saucepan, whisk the evaporated milk into the cornstarch. Bring the milk mixture to a boil over high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook until the mixture has thickened, about 1 minute. Then whisk the cheese into the sauce until it is melted and smooth. Whisk in the chives, and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Spray an ice cube tray with cooking spray, and divide the cheese sauce equally among 8 of the cube holes. Freeze the cheese sauce until it is hard, about 2 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a wire rack on a foil-lined baking sheet, and set it aside.
4. Lay the chicken cutlets on a work surface, and season them with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the ham slices over the chicken. Place 2 frozen cheese cubes in the center of each piece of chicken. Roll up the chicken to encase the filling, and secure each package with 2 toothpicks.
5. Put the flour in a shallow dish. Place the panko in another shallow dish. In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites with a whisk until they are extremely foamy but not holding peaks. Working in batches, dredge the chicken bundles in the flour, shaking off any excess. Dip them in the egg whites to coat completely. Then dredge them in the breadcrumbs to coat completely.
6. Place the chicken bundles on the wire rack. Spray the chicken lightly with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake until the breading is golden brown and crispy outside and the cheese sauce is fully melted, 25 to 30 minutes. Serve hot.
