Chicken Kiev

You may have biryani planned for Eid lunch but in my house, we have chicken kiev. And that’s because everything about it is Eid-worthy. 

A large chicken breast is stuffed with a super garlicky, lemony, and herby butter, before being deep-fried and oven baked to a lovely golden crisp. Once you cut it open, the butter just oozes out everywhere and it basically negates any calories lost during the entire month of Ramadan. 

You can even make mini chicken kievs to serve as a starter or side accompaniment to your main show. But let’s be real, these chicken kievs are going to steal the show. 

CHICKEN KIEV RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

200g butter, softened * see notes
Salt and pepper, to season
1 heaped tbsp of garlic paste
Lemon zest
Juice from 1 lemon
Large handful of parsley, chopped

6 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to season 

Flour
Salt and pepper, to season
2 eggs, beaten 
Breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs 
Pinch of chilli powder

NOTES

* If you are using unsalted butter, be sure to add salt into the herb butter mixture. You can also use salted butter but make sure you either reduce the amount of salt or don’t add it at all. 

METHOD

1. To make the garlic herb butter, add softened butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to a bowl. Mash it up with a fork until everything is combined. 
2. Place a large piece of cling film down on the surface, put the herb butter in the middle, and roll it up, shaping the butter as you go along. Place the butter in the freezer for an hour.
3. Place a chicken breast between two pieces of cling film and bash it with the bottom of a pan or a tenderiser hammer until it is 1cm thick and has spread out. Be careful not to tear the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 
4. Remove the butter from the freezer, cut it into small rectangles and add in the middle of the spread out chicken breast. Fold in all the edges of the spread out chicken breast so that the butter is completely covered. You can choose to seal with a toothpick at this point or just tightly wrap it in cling film with the seal facing downwards. Place in the freezer. 
5. In a bowl, add the flour and toss with salt and pepper. In a separate bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with chilli powder. In a third bowl, add the beaten eggs.
6. Remove the chicken from the freezer. Roll it in the flour, dip it in the egg mixture, and then toss it in the seasoned breadcrumbs. Place this in the freezer for 30 minutes. 
7. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C and keep a foil-lined baking tray ready. Heat up the oil in a deep pan and remove the chicken from the freezer. Place one or two kievs in the pan at a time and flip after 2 minutes to cook the other side. 
8. Once both sides are golden, place the chicken kievs on the foil-lined tray and put in the oven to cook for a further 15-20 minutes.
9. Keep an eye on the kievs to ensure that not too much butter is seeping out. 
10. Serve immediately with lemon wedges and some more melted garlic butter. This will go great with salad and mash potatoes.