Chicken Kiev

Chicken Kiev

Dinner of the week & my culinary masterpiece so far; Chicken Kiev. 

Chicken Kiev is a Russian dish in which boneless chicken breast is carefully rolled around prepared garlic-parsley frozen butter bar and is first fried then baked till breadcrumbs are golden-brown.

When you cut this chicken which is crispy outside and succulent inside, you witness a most beautiful culinary sight when the melted aromatic garlic-parsley butter comes flowing out in the form a fragrant, molten & golden richness!

Recipe:

Ingredients:

For butter:

• 2 cloves garlic, finely crushed
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley (you can also add tarragon and/or chives)
• Pinch of salt

For chicken:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 8 ounces each.
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ cup flour with chicken stock granules mixed in
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method:

• Add garlic cloves in a mortar with a pinch of salt to help it grind. Give this garlic a thorough smashing.
• Add chopped Italian parsley and give one minute pounding.

• Add butter and pastel it till it’s thoroughly mixed with garlic and parsley. This will give the butter sharper, stronger and intense garlic flavor and also beaten parsley will give the butter a glorious color.

• Transfer this butter on to a piece of plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge to firm up a little bit while we prep chicken breasts.

• If chicken breasts have that finger like tender loin piece attached, remove that.
• Put one of these chicken pieces on plastic wrap, cover it and pound that out with a rolling pin or meat tenderizer into a thin fillet.

• Unwrap the plastic and season it with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Now take that refrigerated butter out, cut it into two halves.
• Place one half on the center of flat chicken fillet, on the slightly wider end. 

• Now flip flap the flat ends of chicken over the butter to cover it completely.
• Gather all the edges of chicken piece and trap the butter in the chicken securely. Gather the meat up and it should appear like a ball in which butter is trapped, and this ball is like with a very rugged bottom (where you have folded the chicken flaps) and a very smooth top.

• Wrap up the plastic around this ball and gather the edges of the plastic on the bottom side of the chicken and give it a little twist, enough to keep the chicken fairly together and wrapped.
• Prepare both chicken breasts like this and pop them in the refrigerator for about ½ hour, until they just start to get firm. We don’t want them solid, but firm so that the bottom is together.
• Take these out after ½ an hour. If the top side feels a bit soft, it’s ok. The bottom rugged side should be firm enough.
• Roll one chicken ball gently on seasoned flour; all-purpose flour + salt.
• Pop it in egg wash (beaten egg).
• Roll this flour and egg wash covered chicken ball on bread crumbs and make it thoroughly coated.

• Once you have prepared both chicken balls like this, place them on a plate having few extra bread crumbs and place this plate in fridge for 15 more mins to firm them up before we fry them.
• While chicken breast balls are in the refrigerator, heat up the oil and line a pan with foil.
• Take out the chicken after 15 mins and place one chicken breast ball in the frying pan with seam side down. Fry this side for exactly one minute.
• Now flip it over gently and fry the other side for one minute too.
• Remember, we are not cooking this chicken ball in the oil; we are just sealing it till it starts to crust. Don’t be scared if some of the seams look like they’re opening up it’s OK. The butter is not coming out
• Pull the chicken out, let the excess oil drain thru deep frying skimmer.
• Place the fried chicken on foil lined pan.
• Prepare both chicken breast balls like this.
• Sprinkle little extra salt on the top of and a bit of cayenne pepper.

• Now chicken is ready to go into 400’F oven for 20 minutes or until cooked through.
• Check after 20 mins, they should be beautifully golden brown.
• Take the tray out; let the chicken rest for 5 mins. THIS IS CRITICAL, as during this time, chicken breasts will finish cooking perfectly on their own.
• Transfer them onto plates having pre-prepared mashed potatoes & assorted vegetables.
• Now cut the chicken breast ball into half, and witness the most miraculous sight; when the gorgeous piece of chicken, crispy on outside, moist and tender within and with that amazing herb garlic butter pouring out, running over everything.

It’s truly an amazing meal! Takes a bit of efforts, but TRULY WORTH IT!

Bon Appétit!