OLD SKOOL CHICKEN KIEV !!
I actually brought two free range chicken's, removed the thighs and drums sticks (which i will use on another night) and the chicken bodies will be put into good use for stocks and soups. The breast however where used tonight for Chicken Kiev. I did however remove the fillets of the breast and crumbed them for Freddy (our youngest).
CHICKEN KIEV
serves 4
4 free range chicken breast, skinned removed
4 Tbsp garlic butter (recipe below)
sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 cup panko crumbs
oil for cooking
Preheat oven 200C
Garlic butter: 100g butter, softened
2 cloves garlic, crushed
handful fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1/2 tsp fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped
1 tsp chives, finely chopped
1 lemon, zest
Garlic Butter |
I use a mortar and pestle for this. If you haven't one then a wooden spoon and bowl will do the trick. Pound the garlic into a paste with a pinch of salt, add the herbs and mash to a pungent paste. Add the softened butter, season with salt and pepper, add the lemon zest and mix well so all the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Lay a sheet of glad wrap (plastic wrap) on your bench. Place the butter length ways across it. Try to keep it long and thin as you are wanting to keep it cylindrical. I now lift one edge of the glad wrap over the butter, ensuring that the glad wrap doesn't get tangled in the butter. Roll the butter in the plastic wrap, holding both ends like you are wrapping a sweet. Keep rolling the butter on the bench so it rolls into a tight butter tube.
Put into the freezer so it hardens.
Meanwhile put the flour into a dish, break the eggs and lightly whisk, put these into another dish, lastly put the panko (Japanese bread crumbs) into one more dish. This is for crumbing the chicken. I lay them out on my bench in order of sequence; flour - egg wash - bread crumbs - clean plate.
To prepare the chicken breasts: Using a pointed sharp knife, put a small, deep incision into the thickest part of breast. Now insert your fingers and move them around to loosen up the hole.
Remove the garlic butter from the freezer and cut 2-3 large rounds (don't forget to remove the glad wrap), push these into the cavity and continue until all the chicken breasts are done.
Crumbing: Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper on both sides. Put one chicken breast into the flour and coat on both sides, pat off excess flour and plunge into the egg mixture. Finally coat in the bread crumbs, pat them onto the breast firmly and re-crumb if need be. Set aside and continue until all breasts are crumbed.
Preparation for crumbing |
Heat a large heavy-based fry pan up to medium- high, add enough oil to coat the base of the pan. When hot, carefully add the chicken breasts and cook until golden brown, turn over gently and cook so it is golden on both sides. Remove to a baking tray and cook in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes.
Serve with the buttery juices drizzled over.
We ate our Chicken Kiev with creamy mashed potato with leeks, roast carrots and wilted spinach.
Chicken Kiev with Mashed Potato with Leeks, Roasted Carrots and Wilted Spinach |