Cordon Bleu Wellington (Sous-Vide & Meat Glue)

The idea for the recipe came from a previous one. Cordon Bleu "Corn Dogs." Using Transglutaminase to bind proteins makes it easy to create innovative, mildly crazy combinations. 

There's not much difference between the Corn-Dog version and this recipe except for some minor details. I paired the Wellington with pureed Butternut squash. 

The Fat to lean ratio makes Chicken Thighs the perfect protein for this dish. Chicken Thighs were trimmed just a little to remove any bones or cartilage that might be there. After the trimming, the thighs are partially frozen, which aids in the grinding/processing. I used about 4-5 lbs of Chicken. 

Just like in the Corn-Dog recipe, I used Schmaltz and Gribenes, which adds to the flavor and fat percentage. Using scales make this easier to replicate. I like using 10-12% of the weight of the protein to calculate how much Gribenses I want. 







For the schmaltz, I use 3-5 percent based on a visual inspection of the thigh meat. Estimating the fat percentage of the thigh meat will give me a clue as to how much Schmaltz and Gribenes I want to add. I always have this stuff on hand. I keep a big tub of Gribenes and Schmaltz in the freezer for recipes. Anyhow, melt the Schmaltz down. 






Toss the Schmaltz and Gribenes into a food processor. Process until smooth. You might need to add a little water. 

◀︎◀︎◀︎◀︎Place in bowl.......

Process thighs in batches......►►►►

Thigh meat should be processed into something that looks like a pâté. 

◀︎◀︎◀︎◀︎ Combine Thigh meat with the Schmaltz and Gribenes. Give it a thorough mix.

Measure out the spices. I used the same one I used in the corn-dog recipe. I used about 3%. ►►►►

Combine the spices and mix well. Make sure to pinch off a meatball size sample and fry and adjust for seasoning. 

Now on to the Meat-Gloooo. I use the one from the Modernist Pantry called Activa RM. I found this to be the best. Use the combined weight of the thighs, schmaltz, gribenes, seasonings, or whatever else you used and multiply by 1.2%, which calculate the amount of RM needed. Keep note and weights, so you don't have to remove everything from bowl to weigh. I.E if the total weight was 2000 grams X 1.2% (or .012) = 24 grams. 

I used a powdered sugar dispenser to distribute the Meat-Gloo. Using a Kitchen-Aid or something similar start out on a low speed and sprinkle in the RM. Eventually, you will need to crank up the speed of the mixer. Make sure everything is thoroughly mixed. 

When thoroughly combined, pour out into a very large bowl. This is the part when you have to decide how many roulades you want to make. It's dependent on the total weight and how big you want to go. I made enough for 3 of them. Weigh the whole thing and divide it by X. You might want wanna play around with different sizes to change up recipes and applications. One man roulade is another man's recipe...forthcoming recipe. 

I decided to try lacy Swiss for this recipe, but any cheese will work. Create a stack that will work with the length and diameter you chose for the roulade. 

• The plastic wrap is used to encase the meat into a cylinder. Choose a size that will allow excess plastic on both sides of the cylinder. This one is an 18-inch's and is laid across a large cutting board. 

• Drop a little water on the plastic wrap, which will help you spread out the chicken. Place the ground meat on the plastic wrap in the center. Spread the ground-meat out with your hands. Place cheese in the center and using the plastic wrap fold-over to create a cylinder. 

• Continue rolling while squeezing the ends, which will determine the diameter. Roll at least 8 times. Twist the ends in the opposite direction and tie it off with butchers twine. The cylinder must be very, very tight, so use lots of butchers string. This twisting procedure is best done with two people. If no one is available to help use pliers.

• The Transglutminase needs 24 hours to bind the proteins. Because of my schedule, it was in the refrigerator for 36 hours. 

I decided to play around with Time & Temperature modeling for a future post. I have a couple of electronic calipers on hand which makes measuring easy. 

Of course, this is not necessary at all, but I love this stuff. Anyhow, I measured in 3-4 spots, and the average was 72mm.

Unique SV Tape was used so I could insert probes to monitor temps. The results were fascinating. I'll give you the highlights. Water bath set to 145.5f. If you know anything about T/T, you know (Baldwin discusses this, and so does MC Books) that the last .5c or 1 f of will take a very long time to reach.  

My goal was to pasteurize and achieve an internal temp of 145f. Why the extra .5 degree? It's really a must if you want to cut down on time in the bath. Reaching an equilibrium temp meaning the Food and Bath are temps are the same can take a very long time. That last .5-1 degree takes a while to achieve. 

Results- Chicken entered the bath that was set to 145.5f with an internal temp of 47f degrees. It took 161 minutes (2.67-hrs) to reach 145f. Holding that temp for 13.8 minutes for a Chicken with a 12% Fat content will achieve a 7d Log Reduction, aka Pasteurization {Which is 175 minutes (2.92 hrs) }. 

To get from 145f to 145.5 took an additional 41 minutes (216 minutes or 3.6 hrs).
Note: I cooked the Chicken for 3.8 hrs. I went a little longer as part of a test to see how long it would take to achieve that .5 degrees and of course, a little extra time does not hurt. 

The chicken was shocked in a large tub filled with ice and water. It took 1:48 minutes to drop to 49.58f. Refrigerated for 5 days. 

The Chicken was rethermed at 135f-degrees for 2 hours. Vac Bag and plastic wrap removed. Make sure to save purge, which there was very little. It will be used to make the sauce. Dry the Roulade off very thoroughly. 

Observation- The chicken proteins bonded flawlessly. 

• Prepare puff pastry-Defrost according to manufacturers' instructions or make your own. 
• Spread the puff pastry out on a cutting board and dust with a little flour. 
• Roll out a bit until the desired shape and size is needed. 
• Place a dollop of Dijon mustard in the center and spread out using a pastry brush. 
• I used Lacey Swiss cheese, but use whatever you want. 
• Add the protein (I used Honey Turkey because I don't eat pork). 
• Place another dollop of Dijon and brush on.... make sure to coat the entire cylinder. 
• Add more cheese......try a combination of cheeses. 
• Start rolling......stretch as you roll and make sure it's nice and tight. Trimm as necessary.
• Prepare Egg Wash- Egg, some cream, and a smidgen of Dijon mustard. 

Coat with egg wash and bake at 425f until golden. Rest for about 10 minutes before slicing. 

Sauce- Sorry, no recipe, but it is super easy. Saute shallot in butter, add flour to make a roux, add chicken stock and a little Dijon mustard. Here's my secret..... add honey!!! Taste and season as desired. Add the purge.....reserved liquid from the bag.

Butternut Squash Puree- Rince off, Scoop out seeds, roast at 350f until a knife can easily be inserted into the thickest part of the squash. 

Scoop out the meat and combine with lots of butter, add just a little cream, and salt to taste. Add some honey too for sweetness. Adjust from there.