The best chicken Kyiv

Name: The best chicken Kyiv
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h 20 min
Total time: 1 h 50 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 bulb/s garlic; 1 tsp olive oil; 125 g butter, soft; 20 g pack tarragon, leaves finely chopped; 25 g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped; ½ unwaxed lemon, zest; ½ tsp ground black pepper; 4 large British chicken breast fillets (the thicker the better); 700 ml sunflower or vegetable oil; Peppery salad, to serve; 1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve; Bread, to serve

It’s impossible not to be enamoured by the golden crispy coating, moist chicken breast and – most importantly – the herb-flecked garlicky butter spilling out onto the plate when you cut into it. Martha Collison uses roasted garlic to amp up the allium flavour in her recipe, but if it’s wild garlic season, incorporate a small handful of finely chopped wild garlic into the butter instead. Comforting, lip-coating, savoury, buttery goodness!

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Serves4
CourseMain meal
Prepare30 mins
Cook1 hr 20 mins
Total time1 hr 50 mins
Plusfreezing

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1 bulb/s garlic
1 tsp olive oil
125g butter, soft
¼ x 20g pack tarragon, leaves finely chopped
¼ x 25g pack flat leaf parsley, leaves finely chopped
½ unwaxed lemon, zest
½ tsp ground black pepper
4 large British chicken breast fillets (the thicker the better)
700ml sunflower or vegetable oil
Peppery salad, to serve
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve
Bread, to serve

For the coating

100g plain flour
3 large free range eggs
100g Cooks’ Ingredients Soft White Breadcrumbs

For the roasted garlic, preheat the oven to 170ºC, gas mark 3. Remove three garlic cloves from the bulb to use raw, then slice the remaining bulb in half across the middle. Place onto the centre of a sheet of aluminium foil, drizzle with the olive oil and wrap loosely, then bake for 45-50 minutes until soft and caramelised. Allow to cool, then squeeze the garlic out of the cloves into a small bowl. Mash to a fine paste and set aside.
Place the butter into a small bowl and add the finely chopped herbs, lemon zest, ground black pepper and 2 tsp of the roasted garlic paste. Finely chop the reserved fresh garlic, then add this to the bowl. Beat together until smooth, then spoon onto a piece of baking parchment and shape into a rectangle approx 10x8cm. Wrap tightly and freeze until solid.
Using a narrow-bladed sharp knife, make an incision into the thickest side of one of the chicken breasts, from the side and towards the top. Push into the centre to make a cavity (see tip if you accidentally pierce through). Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Slice the chilled butter into four fingers and insert one into each breast, making sure it is covered by the chicken. Slice the end off the pointed end of the chicken breast and use to plug the gap, covering the butter.
Place three shallow bowls on the countertop. Put the flour into one, the eggs into another (whisked), and the breadcrumbs into the third bowl. Season the flour, then carefully coat each chicken breast in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Repeat the egg and breadcrumb steps a second time to create a double layer (this helps seal in the juices). Set aside – at this stage, they can be stored in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days (depending on the chicken’s use-by date).
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. Heat an approx 2cm depth of oil over a medium heat in a large frying pan, then fry each chicken Kyiv for 2-3 minutes on each side, until the coating looks golden and crisp. Use a spoon to baste with oil to ensure the edges crisp equally. Transfer onto a baking tray and repeat with the remaining Kyivs.
Bake for 15-20 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken breasts), until cooked through with no pink meat and juices that run clear. Serve immediately with a peppery salad and lemon wedges, and plenty of bread to soak up the juices.

Cook’s tip

Fragrant garlic
Roasting the garlic brings out a sweetness and delicacy to the otherwise bold flavour, which works very well with the zesty butter. For a shortcut, try using Belazu Flavour Hacks Roasted Garlic, instead.

Piercing through
A Kyiv is one of the trickiest chicken dishes to master, as getting that melted butter centre is quite the skill. I’ve found using a knife and inserting a stick of cold butter was the most successful, but relies on a large chicken breast and a steady hand. If you accidentally pierce through, or the breast is irregularly shaped, use a disposable food bag and rolling pin to flatten out the meat, then wrap it around the butter like a parcel.

Bread tray
I read a hack about cooking your Kyiv on a slice of bread to catch those glorious garlic butter juices. I found it limits the bottom of the chicken from becoming crispy. Instead, use your bread to mop up the baking tray. All the same flavour but crisp chicken too.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe