South-of-the-Border Chicken Cordon Bleu - Chef Jody Prestine, Owner, Chef Thyme Personal Chef Service

Certainly you've enjoyed traditional chicken Cordon Bleu. Here is a kicked up version from Chef Prestine that features Mexican cheese, chiles and cerveza. Yes beer. This recipe also makes use of Chef Prestine's Cilantro pesto and you can find the recipe for that right here.

Ingredients:

1 cup Mexican beer (Corona, Dos Equis, etc.)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tsp toasted coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large Serrano chili pepper, finely sliced
2 tsp sugar

4 tbsp Cilantro Pesto
4 small whole canned green chili peppers
4 pieces of Mexican cheese (Chihuahua) cut to fit inside the peppers
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup beer
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lime juice
2 large chicken breasts, split
Split the chicken breasts, place them between sheets of waxed paper and pound them gently until they are of even thickness. Don't pound them thin, just pound them enough to make them uniform in thickness. Make a marinade from the first six ingredients, pour over the chicken breasts and marinate in the refrigerater for 4 to 8 hours.

Cut a slit for a pocket in each piece of chicken breast. Spread 1 tbsp of the Cilantro Pesto inside each pocket. Stuff chilis with cheese and place a chili in each pocket. Close the pockets with toothpicks.

Combine flour, salt, paprika and black pepper. Dip each breast in buttermilk and dredge lightly in the seasoned flour.

In a heavy skillet melt butter over medium heat, add chicken and saute until golden brown on each side and cooked through. Remove breasts, pour beer mixture into the hot pan to degaze it and scrape the bottom well. Reduce by 1/4 and pour reduction into a gravy server. Serve chicken breasts with the reduction poured on top. Serves 4.