Rhondas Chicken Kiev Food

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.

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.

MODERN-DAY CHICKEN KIEV

Steps:

• To make the butter, tip all the ingredients into a bowl and season generously with pepper and a little salt. Beat until completely combined, then tip onto a sheet of cling film and roll into a log. Refrigerate until hard. Can be made up to three days in advance or frozen for up to one month.
• One breast at a time, lay them smooth-side down and remove the mini fillet. Make an incision down the middle of the fillet half way into it to make a pocket; it is essential that you don't cut all the way through the meat. Lay a piece of cling film over the breast and, using a meat mallet or rolling pin, flatten it out slightly. On another part of the board bat out the mini fillet slightly.
• Divide the butter into four and squash into flattish discs. Stuff each of the pockets that you made with a disc of butter. Cover each with the mini fillet and fold the sides of the breast over it. Set aside.
• Tip the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs into separate shallow containers. Working methodically, completely coat each breast in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, then dip back into the egg and finally again in the breadcrumbs. Set aside. The chicken can be prepared the day before and left in the fridge or frozen for up to one month - defrost completely before cooking.
• To cook, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat a decent layer of oil in a large frying pan and, once hot, turn the heat down to medium. Fry the kievs for 2-3 mins on each side until dark golden. Lift them onto kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil then transfer to a roasting tin. Cook in the oven for 20 mins or until the kievs feels firm when prodded at the widest part. Serve immediately with the lemon wedges and watercress, plus your favourite retro side dish - Russian salad is good.

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.