Chicken cordon bleu

Ingredients

• 4chicken breasts, skinless, boneless
• 8 slicecooked ham, thin
• 5 1/4 ozGruyère cheese, sliced
• 2 tspDijon mustard
• 2 ozall-purpose flour
• 2eggs, beaten
• 5 1/4 ozdried breadcrumbs, panko for preference
• 1 tspsea salt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 3 tbspolive oil

Method

1. 1

   Slice each chicken breast almost in half horizontally and open it out like a book, then beat it between two sheets of baking paper until thin and even. Season with the salt and pepper and spread a thin scrape of Dijon over each.

2. 2

   Lay two slices of ham and a quarter of the Gruyère across each piece, keeping the filling well back from the edges, then roll it up firmly from the short end and wrap the roll tightly in plastic wrap. Chill until firm.

3. 3

   Heat the oven to 400°F. Unwrap each roll and turn it in the flour, then the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs, keeping the seam underneath as you go.

4. 4

   Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof pan and brown the rolls all over, starting seam side down, then move the pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and the cheese is molten.

5. 5

   Rest the rolls for a few minutes, then cut each one across into thick rounds so the spiral of ham and cheese shows on the plate.