Chicken Breasts with Ham and Cheese (Chicken Cordon Bleu)

Ingredients:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 16 thinly sliced ​​ham, shredded
• 230 g Swiss cheese, coarsely grated
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 1 tsp sweet paprika
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 3 cups breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Lemon wedges for serving

Preparation:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the ham and cheese. Carefully cut a slit down the length of each chicken breast to create a pocket. Fill the pocket with the ham and cheese mixture and secure the edges with a skewer or a few toothpicks.
2. In a shallow medium bowl, place the flour and season with a pinch of salt and ground black pepper.
   
   In a second shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard, paprika, eggs, salt, and pepper. Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl. Coat each chicken piece in the contents of these bowls, in the order in which they were filled: flour, eggs, then breadcrumbs.
   
   Recipe Cordon Bleu.
3. In a large skillet with straight sides, add enough olive oil to completely cover the bottom by a depth of 6 mm. Heat over medium-high heat and, when the oil begins to sizzle, add the chicken in batches, lowering each piece into the oil away from you to avoid splattering. Add more oil between batches if needed.
4. Fry for 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reaches 160°F (70°C). Transfer the meat to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with lemon juice.