Cordon bleu with pearl couscous

Preparation – 1 hour 45 minutes

Clean and slice the chicken filets in half. Slightly wet a slice of chicken filet with a little bit of cold water, then wrap it in cling film and flatten using a meat tenderizer.

Use the flat side of the meat tenderizer. The meat should be flat enough so it can be rolled up, about 2-3 millimetres thick. When flattened, transfer the chicken slice (in the wrap) on a plate and refrigerate.

Repeat this step for the remaining slices of chicken. After that's done, refrigerate the chicken slices for at least one hour. Beat the eggs in one of the deep plates and season with salt and pepper.  

Add flour in another deep plate and breadcrumbs in another. Get the flattened chicken from the refrigerator. Brush a thin layer of dijon mustard over de chicken filet using the silicone brush.  

Place a slice of ham on a slice of chicken and add a slice of cheese on top of that. The cheese and ham should not overlap the meat, slice off any excess cheese and ham when needed.

Fold the short sides inwards and roll the flattened chicken filet towards you. Cover with cling film and refrigerate while repeating this step for the remaining pieces of chicken.

Place a cordon bleu into the flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Repeat until all of the cordon bleu are coated.

Cooking time – 30 minutes

Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a large pan, this might be more or less depending on how much couscous you're going to cook.  cook the pearl couscous according to the package.  

Meanwhile, grate the carrots and set them aside.  finely slice the spring onions, red onion, 1/2 chilli pepper and 3 cloves of garlic. Chop up 3-4 sun-dried tomatoes.

Add in the spring onion, chilli pepper, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and frozen peas when the couscous has finished cooking (drain the water first!). Add the ras el hanout and stir well.

Place the lid back on the pan to keep the dish warm while you bake the cordon bleu. Heat up a knob of butter in a large skillet and bake the cordon bleu until golden brown.

Grill the two red bell peppers, slice and serve alongside the dish. Garnish with some fresh falafel, enjoy!