Homemade Cordon Bleu — Crispy, Without the Cheese Leaking
Pound the escalopes thin, top with ham and cheese, fold over and press the edge shut firmly with a fork. Coat in flour, egg and breadcrumbs and fry in plenty of clarified butter over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes a side. If the cheese leaks, the edge was not sealed or the pan too hot.
Cordon bleu is on the menu of every Swiss pub and yet is rarely made at home. It is a stuffed escalope with a crust — no art, just two things to know: how to seal the edge, and that the pan must not be too hot. Then the cheese comes out in a string when you cut in, not into the pan beforehand.
Ingredients
- 4 pieces Pork escalopes (about 150 g each)
- 4 slices Ham
- 120 g Gruyère (sliced)
- 3 tbsp Flour
- 2 pieces Eggs
- 120 g Breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp Clarified butter
- 1 tsp Salt
- Pepper
- 1 piece Lemon (in wedges)
Method
- 1
Pound the escalopes
Pound the escalopes between two layers of cling film with a meat mallet or a heavy pan until about 5 mm thin. They nearly double in size — you need that for folding. Season with salt and pepper.
- 2
Fill
On one half of each escalope lay a slice of ham and the cheese, leaving a 1 cm border all round. The cheese must not reach the edge — or that is where it leaks out.
- 3
Seal
Fold over and press the edge shut firmly with the tines of a fork, all the way round. To be safe, push a toothpick or two through the edge and remove them after frying.
- 4
Coat
Set out flour, beaten eggs and breadcrumbs in three shallow plates. Turn each cordon bleu first in flour, tap off the excess, then through the egg, then in the breadcrumbs, pressing lightly.
- 5
Fry
Melt the clarified butter in a large pan over medium heat — it should sizzle gently, not smoke. Fry the cordon bleu 4 to 5 minutes a side until golden, turning only once. Two at a time, not four.
- 6
Serve
Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve with a lemon wedge. Chips, fried potatoes or a green salad go alongside.
Tips
- The pan is the most common mistake: too hot, and the crust is dark before the cheese has melted. Medium heat and patience — 8 to 10 minutes in total.
- Coated cordon bleu can be frozen raw. Fry straight from frozen over low heat, 7 to 8 minutes a side.
- Ask the butcher's counter for 'escalopes for cordon bleu' — at Migros and Coop you will get them already cut large and thin.
What can I substitute?
Chicken is the family version and cheaper; veal the pub original and much dearer. Chicken needs a minute longer per side.
All melt well. Raclette cheese is creamiest, Appenzeller the most pungent.
Stronger and saltier — then salt the meat less. Bündnerfleisch is the version you get in Graubünden.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the cheese leak out of my cordon bleu?
Three reasons: the cheese reached the edge, the edge was not pressed shut firmly enough, or the pan was so hot the meat shrank before the crust had set. Leave a border, press with a fork, medium heat.
Can I cook cordon bleu in the oven?
Yes: brush the coated cordon bleu with a little melted butter and bake at 200 °C fan for 20 to 25 minutes, turning halfway. The crust is less crisp than pan-fried, but you need hardly any fat and can do eight at once.
What goes with cordon bleu?
In the pub: chips and a lemon wedge. Just as good at home: fried potatoes, potato salad, peas and carrots or a big green salad, since the cordon bleu itself is already rich.
Can I prepare cordon bleu ahead?
Up to and including coating, yes. Covered in the fridge they keep a day; the crust even sticks better. Fry only just before eating.
How much does homemade cordon bleu cost?
With Swiss pork escalopes about 5 to 6 CHF per person including ham and cheese — roughly a quarter of the pub price. A little less with chicken, about 10 CHF with veal.
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