Mini Chicken Kievs Filled With Pea Basil And CrÈme FraÎche Pesto Food

CHICKEN KIEV

Steps:

• Combine the butter, onion, parsley, garlic powder, tarragon and pepper. Shape mixture into six pencil-thin strips about 2 in. long; place on waxed paper. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Flatten each chicken breast to 1/4 in. Place one butter strip in the center of each chicken breast. Fold long sides over butter; fold ends up and secure with a toothpick. In a bowl, beat egg and milk; place coating mix in another bowl. Dip chicken, then roll in coating mix. Place chicken, seam side down, in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 425° or until the chicken is no longer pink and the juices run clear. Remove toothpicks before serving. Microwave Directions (timing based on a 1100-watt oven): Place chicken in a greased glass pie plate. Microwave on high for 2-1/2 minutes. Turn plate; microwave for 1-2 minutes or until juices run clear. Let stand 5 minutes.

CHICKEN KIEVS

Steps:

• Place all the garlic butter ingredients in a bowl and season well. Mash with a fork until well combined, shape into two sausages using cling film to help you shape it, then tightly wrap and chill or freeze until really firm. Can be made up to three days in advance. When firm, slice each into eight even pieces.
• Lay a chicken breast on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to make a deep pocket inside the breast. The easiest way is to push the point of a knife into the fat end, keep going halfway into the fillet. Be careful not to cut all the way through or the butter will leak out when cooking. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Push two discs of butter inside each chicken breast, press to flatten and re-seal with your hands. Set aside.
• Mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan on one plate, and tip the eggs onto another. On a third plate, mix the flour with paprika and some salt. Dip each breast in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs, repeating so each kiev has a double coating (this will make them extra crisp and help to keep the butter inside). Chill for at least 1 hr before cooking, or freeze now - see tips, below.
• To cook, heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the kievs for 2-3 mins each side until golden - you may need to do this in batches. Transfer to a baking tray and cook for 20-25 mins until cooked through.
• Place all the garlic butter ingredients in a bowl and season well. Mash with a fork until well combined, shape into two sausages using cling film to help you shape it, then tightly wrap and chill or freeze until really firm. Can be made up to three days in advance. When firm, slice each into eight even pieces.
• Lay a chicken breast on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to make a deep pocket inside the breast. The easiest way is to push the point of a knife into the fat end, keep going halfway into the fillet. Be careful not to cut all the way through or the butter will leak out when cooking. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Push two discs of butter inside each chicken breast, press to flatten and re-seal with your hands. Set aside.
• Mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan on one plate, and tip the eggs onto another. On a third plate, mix the flour with paprika and some salt. Dip each breast in the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs, repeating so each kiev has a double coating (this will make them extra crisp and help to keep the butter inside). Chill for at least 1 hr before cooking, or freeze now - see tips, below.
• To cook, heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the kievs for 2-3 mins each side until golden - you may need to do this in batches. Transfer to a baking tray and cook for 20-25 mins until cooked through.

CREME FRAICHE CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute chicken breasts in oil over medium high heat. Once breasts are browned, add white wine and salt and pepper to taste. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
• Meanwhile, To Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta to boiling water, cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain.
• When chicken is cooked, remove from skillet and cube. Set aside. Saute onion and garlic in remaining juices. Once onions are translucent, add mushrooms and saute until soft. Add cubed chicken, creme fraiche and sour cream (to desired thickness). Stir all together and heat through. Put hot cooked pasta on plate, top with chicken and sauce and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese.

MINI CHICKEN KIEV

Steps:

• Mix chicken mince, garlic powder, onion powder, parsely and 1/3 cup breadcrumbs together in a bowl.
• Seperate into a rough oval ball (2 in x 1 in x 1 in).
• Poke a hole in the middle of the mix and add a teaspoon of garlic butter and cover up with the surrounding mix.
• coat lightly in flour.
• dip in milk and then breadcrumb parsely mix.
• re-dip in milk and re-dip in breadcrumb parsely mix.
• In a small pan or heat oil and shallow fry until golden.
• Place mini kiev's in a Pre-heated 180 C oven for 10 minutes.
• Take out of oven, dry excess oil with paper towel and serve!

PEA PESTO CROSTINI

Steps:

• For the pea pesto: Pulse together the peas, garlic, Parmesan, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
• For the crostini: Preheat a stovetop griddle or grill pan on medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the sliced bread with olive oil and grill until golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bread to a clean surface and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of the prepared pesto on each slice.
• Top with tomato halves and serve.
• *Cook's note: If you don't have day-old bread on hand, you can dry out fresh bread by putting the slices in a preheated 300 degree F oven until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes.

CHICKEN KIEV

Steps:

• Combine butter, parsley, tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place mixture on plastic wrap or waxed paper and roll into small log; place in freezer.
• Place chicken breasts, 1 at a time, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Squirt chicken lightly with water and squirt the top of the plastic wrap as well. Pound to no less than 1/8-inch thickness. Season each piece of chicken with salt and pepper.
• Lay 1 chicken breast on a new piece of plastic wrap and place 1/4 of the compound butter and 1 tablespoon bread crumbs in the center of each breast. Using the plastic wrap to assist, fold in ends of breast and roll breast into a log, completely enclosing the butter; roll very tightly. Repeat with each breast. Place chicken in refrigerator for 2 hours, or up to overnight.
• Place egg and water mixture in 1 pie pan and 2 cups bread crumbs in a different pie pan.
• Heat 1/2-inch of vegetable oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat until oil reaches 375 degrees F.
• Dip each breast in the egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Gently place each breast in oil, sealed-side down, and cook until golden brown, approximately 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Remove to a cooling rack set in sheet pan and allow to drain for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

CHEF JOHN'S CHICKEN KIEV

Steps:

• Grind garlic and a pinch of salt together in a mortar and pestle until garlic is completely smashed. Add parsley and mix until completely incorporated. Pound butter into garlic mixture with pestle until parsley and garlic are fully incorporated into the butter. Wrap the butter mixture in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, at least 15 minutes.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place 1/4 the butter mixture in the center of wider end of each chicken breast. Fold the narrower end of each chicken breast up over the butter to form a tight pocket around the butter. Gather the sides of each chicken breast to the center to form a round ball. The top of the chicken will be smooth and the bottom will be gathered. Tightly wrap each chicken breast ball in plastic wrap, put wrapped breasts on a plate, and chill in the freezer until the gathered bottoms hold together and are slightly firm, about 30 minutes.
• Whisk flour and 2 teaspoons salt together in a shallow bowl. Whisk eggs together in another shallow bowl. Pour panko bread crumbs into another bowl.
• Remove chicken breast balls from plastic wrap. Gently press each chicken breast ball into flour mixture to coat and shake off any excess flour. Dip into beaten eggs, then press into bread crumbs. Place breaded chicken onto a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and return to the freezer to chill until firm, about 15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• Working in batches, cook chicken, gathered-side down, in hot oil and until lightly golden on both sides, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and cayenne pepper over the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until you can hear the butter start to sizzle on the baking sheet, 15 to 17 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

MINI CHICKEN KIEVS FILLED WITH PEA, BASIL AND CRÈME FRAÎCHE PESTO

Steps:

• Start by placing all the pesto ingredients into a food processor and blitzing until smooth, the mixture should be the consistency of custard - so runny but nice and thick. Take around 4 to 5 tablespoons of the mixture and put them into a bowl, and decant the rest of the mixture into a re-sealable jar and place into the fridge. Place the chicken, salt, pepper, onion and celery salt into a food processor and blitz until nice and smooth. Using wet hands (it makes it much easier and cleaner to make the kievs, and keep the tap running so you can rinse in between making each of them) spoon a large tablespoon of the chicken mixture onto the palm of your hand and gently flatten it a little as in the picture. Now, take a level teaspoon of the pesto mixture you put into a separate bowl and drop it into the middle of the chicken mix. Curling your hand up gently as in the pic, bring the mixture up and around the pesto, encasing it inside while making sure you expel as much air from inside as possible, then smooth the tops together to seal. Repeat with all the chicken mixture. Line up the flour, egg and panko in that order and coat each kiev in turn - flour first, then egg, then panko - setting the coated kievs onto a plate. Preheat your oil to 330 °F. Fry the kievs for 12 to 15 minutes (depending on their size) until they are nicely golden brown, turn them over during the cooking if you're frying them in a saucepan and the oil doesn't totally cover them. Remove and place them on kitchen paper to drain. Serve them with a squeeze of lemon, a little salt and some extra pesto filling to dip them in.

CHICKEN KIEV

Steps:

• Combine 1/3 cup butter, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. On a 6x6 inch piece of aluminum foil, spread mixture to about 2x3 inches. Place this mixture in the coldest section of your freezer and freeze until firm. This can be done ahead of time.
• Remove all fat from the chicken breast. If using whole chicken breasts, cut them in half. Place each chicken breast half between 2 pieces of waxed paper and using a mallet, pound carefully to about 1/4 inch thickness or less.
• When butter mixture is firm, remove from freezer and cut into 6 equal pieces. Place one piece of butter on each chicken breast. Fold in edges of chicken and then roll to encase the butter completely. Secure the chicken roll with small skewers or toothpicks.
• In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with water until fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix together 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, dill weed and flour. Coat the chicken well with the seasoned flour. Dip the floured chicken in the egg mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Place coated chicken on a shallow tray and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
• In a medium size deep frying pan, heat vegetable oil to medium-high. Fry chicken for about 5 minutes then turn over and fry for 5 minutes longer or until the chicken is golden brown. To test for doneness, cut into one of the rolled chicken breasts to make sure it doesn't have a pink interior. Serve immediately, garnished with a sliced lemon twist and a sprinkling or parsley.

ULTIMATE CHICKEN KIEVS

Steps:

• To brine the chicken, whisk the salt into 1 litre of cold water in a large bowl until the salt has totally dissolved, then add the herbs, garlic and the chicken. Cover and put in the fridge for at least 5 hrs (up to 24 hrs is fine).
• Meanwhile, to make the butter, crush the garlic with a little salt, using the side of your knife to form a paste, then mix it into the softened butter with the herbs and lemon zest. Using a layer of cling film, roll the butter into a sausage shape and put in the fridge or freezer for at least 1 hr to firm up. This can be done up to two days ahead.
• Remove the chicken from the brine but don't rinse it, and instead pat dry. Using a sharp knife, make a small horizontal incision in the fattest part of each breast. Using your fingers, open up the incision to form a decent-sized cavity without cutting all the way through. Divide the butter mixture between the breasts and stuff it inside, leaving the chicken nice and plump, without any butter on show.
• To make the coating, put the flour, eggs and panko crumbs in separate shallow bowls. Dip the chicken in the flour first, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs. Repeat the egg and crumb process again so the chicken has a thick coating. This can be done the day before and kept in the fridge.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8. Place a heavy frying pan on a medium to high heat. Add a generous layer of vegetable oil and fry the kievs individually until golden all over, working in batches if you need to. Place on a rack with a baking tray underneath and bake in the oven for 25 mins until deep golden and cooked through. Serve with sweet braised lettuce and peas.

CREME FRAICHE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cube chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Melt butter in a medium skillet, add chicken and cook until chicken is no longer pink and lightly browned.
• Stir in garlic and onions and continue to cook until onions are translucent, add mushrooms and saute until soft.
• Remove chicken mixture from pan and add white white to deglaze pan.
• Cook until most of wine has evaporated, stir in chicken mixture, basil and creme fraice.
• Stir and heat on low until thoroughly heated.
• Serve over fresh cooked pasta, garnish with remaining 2 tablespoons creme fraiche and freshly grated cheese.
• Serve immediately.