Chicken Kiev is one of those recipes that you can prepare ahead of time. You can cook the chicken kiev and freeze individual portions that can be microwaved later or prepare the kiev and bake as needed for a family dinner.

Chicken Kiev is an impresive dinner for entertaining guests. Serve with mixed vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower and carrots.

Chicken Kiev

Serves 4
Published in: Americas Test Kitchen

Herb Butter
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) -- softened
1 tablespoons minced shallot
1 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/8 teaspoons table salt
1/8 teaspoons ground black pepper
Chicken
5 slice white sandwich bread -- cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Table salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 boneless -- skinless chicken breasts (7 to 8 ounces each),
tenderloins removed
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 large eggs -- beaten
1 teaspoons Dijon mustard

For the Herb Butter: Mix butter, shallot, herbs, lemon juice,
salt, and pepper in medium bowl with rubber spatula until thoroughly
combined. Form into 3-inch square on plastic wrap; wrap tightly and
refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

For the Chicken: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat
oven to 300 degrees. Add half of bread cubes to food processor and
pulse until cubes are coarsely ground, about sixteen 1-second pulses.
Transfer crumbs to large bowl and repeat with remaining bread cubes
(you should have about 3 1/2 cups crumbs). Add 1/8 teaspoon salt and
1/8 teaspoon pepper to bread crumbs. Add oil and toss until crumbs
are evenly coated. Spread crumbs on rimmed baking sheet and bake
until golden brown and dry, about 25 minutes, stirring twice during
baking time. Let cool to room temperature (you should have about 2
1/2 cups bread crumbs).

Prepare cutlets, following illustrations 1 and 2 below. Unwrap
butter and cut into 4 rectangular pieces. Place chicken breast cut
side up on work surface; season both sides with salt and pepper.
Following illustration 3, place 1 piece of butter in center of bottom
half of breast. Roll bottom edge of chicken over butter, then fold in
sides and continue rolling to form neat, tight package, pressing on
seam to seal. Repeat with remaining butter and chicken. Refrigerate
chicken, uncovered, to allow edges to seal, about 1 hour.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
Place flour, eggs, and bread crumbs in separate pie plates or shallow
dishes. Season flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper;
season bread crumbs with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Add mustard to eggs and whisk to combine. Dredge 1 chicken breast in
flour, shaking off excess, then coat with egg mixture, allowing
excess to drip off. Coat all sides of chicken breast with bread
crumbs, pressing gently so that crumbs adhere. Place on wire rack set
over rimmed baking sheet. Repeat flouring and breading of remaining
chicken breasts.

Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted into center of
chicken (from top) registers 160 degrees, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest
5 minutes on wire rack before serving.

Step-by-Step: Building a Better Chicken Kiev

Starting on thinnest side, butterfly breast by slicing lengthwise
almost in half. Open breast up to create a single, flat cutlet.

With cutlet between sheets of plastic wrap, pound (starting at
center) to 1/4-inch thickness. Pound outer perimeter to 1/8 inch.

Place butter piece near tapered end of cutlet and roll up end to
cover completely. Fold in sides and continue rolling to form cylinder.

After chilling one hour, dredge Kiev in flour, shaking off excess.

Roll flour-dredged Kiev in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off.
Roll in toasted bread crumbs, pressing gently so crumbs adhere.

Step-by-Step: Troubleshooting Chicken Kiev

PROBLEM: Homogenized crust is reminiscent of a corndog. SOLUTION: We
had better results with coarse (not ultra-fine) crumbs and baking,
not deep-frying.
PROBLEM: Compound butter leaks. SOLUTION: Pounding the chicken thin
(and thinner at the edges) and refrigerating to let the seams set
produced butter-tight Kievs.

PROBLEM: Pan-fried coating browns unevenly, and sides remain pale.
SOLUTION: Browning the bread crumbs before coating and baking the
chicken yielded a uniform crust.

Recipe Notes

Unbaked, breaded chicken Kievs can be refrigerated overnight and
baked the next day or frozen for up to one month. To cook frozen
chicken Kievs, increase the baking time to 50-55 minutes (do not thaw
chicken).

Serves 4

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