Chicken Kiev Recipe

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Chicken Kiev

From Dorothy McNett's Recipe Book at www.dorothymcnett.com. Origin can be traced to the Ukrainian city of Kiev. Long before Moscow became the Russian capital, Kiev served as the major center of trade and culture. It was the first seat of the medieval Russian empire. When cutting into Chicken Kiev, beware! When properly prepared, the cutlets will release a spurt of hot, rich butter, sometimes catching the diner unawares.

4 large chicken breast halves
1/4 pound of real butter, softened but NOT melted
freshly chopped parsley, chives, and tarragon
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper
Dijon-style mustard

flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
fine dry bread crumbs
vegetable oil for deep frying

Cream the softened butter with the chopped herbs. I use about 1 teaspoon each with just a bit more parsley. Blend in the lemon juice. Shape the butter into 4 rolls, long enough to be placed lengthwise on the chicken pieces without extending over the edge of the meat, and leaving a 1 inch border. (Watch) Place the rolls of butter in the refrigerator to chill until firm. Meanwhile, flatten each chicken breast until thin and flat, about 1/8 inch thick, being careful not to tear the meat. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken, and set aside.



Spread each fillet with a thin layer of the mustard. Place a roll of butter lengthwise along each piece. Tuck in the ends of the fillets and roll them up, making sure that the butter is completely enclosed within the chicken packet. Dredge each fillet in flour, dip in the beaten eggs, and then in the dry bread crumbs, so that is completely coated. Adjust the fillets into uniform ovals. Put the fillets in the refrigerator and leave to chill for a least one hour up to 4 hours. Preheat the vegetable oil to 360 degrees in a deep-fat fryer. Remove the fillets from the refrigerator and immerse them in the hot oil. Do not crowd them. Fry the fillets for 5-8 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve immediately. If they must be held until the remaining ones are fried, place them in a warm oven for no more than 5 minutes.



Or, instead of deep frying, they could simply be fried in a frying pan over medium-high heat in a mixture of 4 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil. Cook the fillets for about 5 minutes on each side, but do not puncture them.

Recipe created 1996-06-24.