Cordon bleu (dish)

Acordon bleuorschnitzel cordon bleuis a dish of meat wrapped around cheese (or with cheese filling), then breaded and pan-fried or deep-fried.
Veal or porkcordon bleuis made of veal or pork pounded thin and wrapped around a slice ofhamand a slice of cheese, breaded, and then pan-friedorbaked.For chickencordon bleu, chicken breast is used instead of veal.Hamcordon bleuis ham stuffed with mushrooms and cheese.
TheFrenchtermcordon bleuis translated as "blue ribbon".According toLarousse Gastronomique, thecordon bleu"was originally a wide blue ribbon worn by members of the highest order of knighthood,L'Ordre des chevaliers du Saint-Esprit, instituted byHenri III of Francein 1578. By extension, the term has since been applied to food preparation to a very high standard and by outstanding cooks. The analogy no doubt arose from the similarity between the sash worn by the knights and the ribbons (generally blue) of a cook's apron."
The exact origin of the Cordon Bleu is unknown, and many theories have contributed to its myth.
The most accepted theory is that of aValaisian female cookinSwitzerlandwho created the recipe out of necessity to serve a large number of guests in one shift. However, its origin can also be traced back to a cooking competition inFrancein 1930, where the winning dish was named “le Cordon Bleu.”
Another theory suggests that a Swiss cook prepared a dish on theBremenin 1933 to celebrate the achievement of a new record. Indeed, having just won aBlue Ribbonfor his new record, the captain decided to ask the cook for a new dish: the Cordon Bleu, which the cook may have brought back fromFranceorSwitzerland.
Thus, the Cordon Bleu could be a French or Swiss invention, either cooked on a German ship by aRoman Swissusing a French or Swiss recipe, by aValaisian Swisscook 200 years ago, or by aFrench cookin a cooking competition in 1930.
The Cordon Bleu was first mentioned in a cookbook from 1949. The earliest reference to "veal Cordon Bleu" is in theLos Angeles timesof 1958, while similarvealrecipes are found from at least 1955.
There are many variations of the recipe involving cutlet, cheese, and meat. A popular way to prepare chicken cordon bleu is tobutterfly cuta chicken breast, place a thin slice ofhaminside, along with a thin slice of a soft, easily melted cheese. The chicken breast is then rolled into aroulade, coated in bread crumbs, and then deep-fried.Other variations exist with the chicken bakedrather than fried.
Other common variations include omitting the bread crumbs,wrapping the ham around the chicken, or usingbaconin place of ham.
A similar dish popular in theAsturiasprovince ofSpainiscachopo, a deep-fried cutlet of veal, beef or chicken wrapped around a filling of Serrano ham and cheese.In Spain, a version made usually with just two slices of ham and cheese, although it can also be found with chicken or pork loin added, is often calledsan jacobo.
A common variant inUruguayandArgentinais themilanesa rellena. It consists of two beef or chicken fillets passed through beaten egg, later, stuffed with cooked ham and mozzarella cheese and superimposed like a sandwich. Once this is done, they are again passed through beaten eggs and breadcrumbs, to be fried or baked. It is usually served withpapas fritas(french fries) as a garnish.
In largelyMuslim-populated countries,halalversions of chicken cordon bleu are also popular: the chicken is rolled around beef or mutton instead of pork.