Chicken Kyiv

Chicken Kyiv Cutlet, a renowned dish in Ukrainian cuisine, is a testament to the country's culinary finesse and love for hearty, flavorful meals.

This succulent chicken cutlet, filled with herb-infused butter and encased in a golden, crispy crust, offers a delightful contrast of textures. Its taste is rich and savory, with a pleasing combination of the seasoned butter and the tender chicken.

Ingredients

• 4 large chicken breasts (approximately 3,1 lbs)
• 7 oz. butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• dill and parsley for garnish
• salt, pepper to taste

For the breading:

• 7 oz. all-purpose flour
• 4-5 pcs eggs
• white bread (baguette)

For frying:

• 1 quart frying oil

Instructions

Step 1

Start with preparing the herb butter. In a small bowl, mix softened butter with finely chopped dill, parsley, and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Put the butter on a plastic wrap and form it into a log, wrapping it tightly into a film. Freeze for half an hour or more.

Step 2

Meanwhile, prepare your chicken breast. Cut each filet in two parts lengthwise. Place each breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and gently pound it with a meat mallet until it's about ⅕ inch thick. Season each pounded breast with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Take out the herb butter from the freezer and cut it into 8 pieces. Put a piece of butter on the prepared chicken breast and wrap it tightly, so that the butter was completely hidden inside the chicken. Wrap each cutlet with a plastic film to keep it together and put it in the freezer for another 30-60 minutes.

Step 4

For the coating prepare three dry dishes. Fill one dish with the flour. Beat and whisk the eggs in the second one. Grind the bread in a blender to get the breadcrumbs and put them in a third dish.

Step 5

Take out your chicken from the freezer. Coat each one in this order: flour - eggs - breadcrumbs - eggs - breadcrumbs. Put them in the fridge while you prepare the deep fry.

Step 6

Put a deep pan on the stove and pour the oil so that it can completely cover your cutlets. When the oil warms up to 320-340 F, deep fry each cutlet for a couple of minutes until golden brown.

Step 6

Transfer all the cutlets to a baking tray, put it into a preheated oven, and bake for 12-15 minutes at 355 F. When the chicken is ready you will hear a hissing sound that makes the boiling butter inside the chicken. Be careful not to overcook, the crust may crack and the filling will leak away.

Variations

The classiс Kyiv Chicken is made on the bone, and to make it you need to cut out the breast together with the shoulder bone and make the cutlets as described. In this case, you will need to get the whole chicken to prepare only two portions of Kyiv Chicken.

On the contrary, you can simplify the recipe and use minced chicken meat instead of whole filet. It is recommended to mix it with minced salo (pork fat) to prevent your cutlets from falling apart while assembling.

You can also avoid deep frying if you wish. Increase baking time for approximately 10 minutes, but be careful not to overbake. You can take it from the oven as soon as the butter inside starts boiling (you will hear the sound).

Feel free to experiment with the butter filling: add garlic, mushrooms, cheese, or try different herbs.