Filipinos love serving rolled foods during the holidays. Embutido. Morcon. Porchetta. Traditional cordon bleu looks like a flat schnitzel, but not in the Philippines. Chicken breast, ham, and cheese are rolled up into logs, then breaded, deep-fried, and sliced into crunchy spirals.
This recipe updates classic cordon bleu with some Korean influence. For the filling, we combine cream cheese and chopped kimchi, adding tang and color to the chicken and ham. On the side: creamy, mildly spicy gochujang bechamel. You can serve it as a dipping sauce, or pour it all over your sliced cordon bleu for a show stopping dish.
Cordon bleu requires a lot of love, starting with the ingredients. CDO Holiday Ham, with its soft texture and balanced taste, shines in the dish without overpowering other flavors. It’s a fantastic team player with the chicken, kimchi, and cheese.
A good ham starts with quality meat. CDO’s Holiday Ham has no extenders or additives—just 100% premium pork shoulder (pigue), smoked and simmered in a pineapple glaze. Each bite promises tender meat bursting with a rich, smoky-sweet flavor, making it fantastic on its own or wedged between pandesal.
CDO Holiday Ham and other CDO Christmas hams are available in supermarkets near you! You can also order online via CDO Home Delivery on Facebook, official Shopee and Lazada stores.
Make kimchi filling: Combine cream cheese, minced kimchi, Parmigiano Reggiano, and whole milk in a mixing bowl. Season with a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more kimchi if you prefer a stronger fermented flavor. Transfer mixture into a piping bag and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Butterfly chicken breast: Place chicken breast on a clean cutting board; the short side of the breast must be facing you. Using a sharp knife and moving from the side, insert the knife into the thickest part of the breast. Slice horizontally into the breast, taking care not to cut all the way through—you want to leave about half an inch from the other side.
Pound chicken breast: Open up the breast like a book, creating a longer piece of chicken. Place the butterflied breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or a rolling pin, pound until ⅓-inch thick. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap. Move chicken cutlet to the bottom edge closest to you. Season chicken with salt. Repeat step with remaining chicken breasts, making sure each piece has their own plastic wrap.
Fill and prepare chicken: Arrange 5 slices of CDO Holiday Ham in a single layer on top of the pounded chicken breast. Overlapping ham is fine. Take the kimchi-cream cheese mixture from the fridge and, working along the edge closest to you, pipe a long line of kimchi filling across the chicken.
Lift up the edge of the plastic wrap closest to you. Begin to roll the chicken away from you, going over and around the kimchi filling as you would a sushi roll. Continue rolling until you reach the end and you have a perfect log of chicken (a roulade!). Close the plastic wrap around the chicken to encase your roulade, twisting the sides like a pastillas wrapper. Secure the sides with tape or a knot. Repeat with remaining chicken breasts, CDO Holiday Ham, and kimchi filling. Store chicken rolls in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.
Prepare dredging station: Prepare all-purpose flour, whisked eggs, and breadcrumbs in three separate containers long and deep enough to fit your chicken rolls.
Dredge chicken: Season all ingredients with salt. Working one piece at a time, unwrap roulade and dredge it in flour, gently knocking off any excess. Dip roulade into beaten eggs, letting the excess drip back into the container. Dredge roulade in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to pack the crumbs onto the chicken, making sure to cover the ends and no bare spots remain. Transfer breaded chicken roulade onto a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining roulades. Chill breaded chicken in the refrigerator, at least 20 minutes.
Fry: Pour 1 ½ inches of neutral oil into a large, heavy skillet with high sides. Heat oil over medium-high until an instant-read thermometer registers 350°F. Working one piece at a time, carefully lower a breaded roulade into the hot oil. Fry until deep golden brown all over, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a metal rack and season immediately with salt. Repeat with remaining chicken. Let the last piece rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Make gochujang bechamel: While the roulades rest, make a gochujang bechamel for dipping. Melt butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium-low heat. Add flour and whisk together until the mixture forms small bubbles. Add milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth and free from lumps. Continue whisking until the mixture starts simmering. Add garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano, gochujang, and salt. Whisk until well incorporated and the mixture forms a gravy-like consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding more salt or more gochujang. Transfer to a dipping platter or small bowl.
Serve: Slice chicken roulades into thick pieces, exposing the ham and kimchi-filled interior. Serve hot with gochujang bechamel as a dipping sauce.
