Your guests will lick their plates clean!
Yulia Mulino
Do you want to impress your guests? Treat them to this tender Chicken Kiev!
Regarding the birth of this recipe, the name speaks for itself, doesn't it? However, it’s not so easy. In fact, it’s a detective story without any clear answer. French chefs, Russian emigrants in America and Soviet restaurants are all listed to be the authors of this successful dish.
The first mention of Chicken Kiev in Russian sources is found in the Housekeeping Journal of 1913-1914. It was made from minced meat with a piece of butter inside and coated with egg and breadcrumbs. The recipe was forgotten in the interwar period and revived only after World War II with a chicken fillet. Now, it’s the most common way to cook it in Russia and all over the world (RECIPE).
Nevertheless, the recipe with the mince is also quite popular, probably because it gives Chicken Kiev its special tenderness. In the past, the meat was beaten with a wooden mallet, and together with butter and cream. Nowadays, it is enough to make chicken minced meat in order to achieve this tender effect.
I also like using a sweet brioche to be used for crumb coating in order to achieve an exquisite taste. And a special trick is to serve the dish on top of a crouton that helps to catch the secret filling.
The original recipe does not use many spices; however, black pepper, nutmeg and garlic powder are a great final touch.
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast – 400 g
- Butter – 150 g
- Cream (min 30% fat) – 70 g
- Brioche – 2 pcs
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Nutmeg
- Garlic powder
- Greens (choose from dill, parsley, chives, coriander)
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Egg mixture: 1 egg, 4 spoons of cream
- Flour for coating
- Sunflower oil (to fry) – 500 ml
Cooking:
1. Chop the greens and fresh garlic, add a bit of salt and mix with 50 g of soft butter.
2. Take a rectangular plastic container, put plastic film inside and spread the butter evenly. Close the edges and place in the freezer for about one hour. You will get a nice brick of herbal butter.
3. Mince the chicken in the machine, add salt, pepper, nutmeg, garlic powder, 100 g of soft butter and cream.
4. Mix it all. You will see that the cream is absorbed. Put the bowl for 30 minutes in the fridge.
5. Slice the brioches, dry in the oven or in a toaster and crumble.
6. By the time the butter and the minced chicken are out of the freezer and the fridge, you will need to prepare three bowls: with flour, with egg mixture and with the crumbs.
7. Take out a large chunk of butter and cut it while still firm.
8. Divide the chicken meat mixture into 8 parts (85 g each). Use gloves while working with the meat because it will be a bit sticky. Place a small slab of butter into a cminced cutlet and seal it thoroughly – this is an important moment, because the butter should stay inside when frying.
9. Put the minced cutlet into flour and coat it evenly. Repeat this with the rest.
10. Place each minced cutlet separately into the egg mixture and roll it in the crumbs.
11. You need to eat Chicken Kiev cutlets immediately after cooking them. If you do not plan to eat them right away then put the cutlets in the fridge till dinner.
12. Cook Chicken Kiev in hot oil (140 degrees Celsius) in a deep and a narrow pan. The cutlets should be covered with oil. Keep the cutlets inside for about 4-5 minutes. Use a skimmer to place the cutlets and remove from the oil. Make sure that they don’t become too brown. Don’t let water mix with the hot oil.
13. Serve Chicken Kiev on top of croutons.
14. Enjoy its secret inside!
READ MORE: Here’s a delicious way to reinvent the famous ‘Veal Orloff’ with chicken (RECIPE)
If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.
Subscribe
to our newsletter!
Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox
Check your email to confirm the subscribtion
') }, error: function() { $email.val(''); alert('An unknown error occurred. Try later.'); } }); } if (isDaily) { $.ajax({ type: "GET", dataType: "json", url: 'https://subscribe.rbth.com/subscribe//' + $email.val() + '?_t=' + (new Date()).getTime(), success: function () { $subscribe.addClass('subscribe_complete'); $subscribe.html('
Almost Finished...
') }, error: function() { $email.val(''); alert('An unknown error occurred. Try later.'); } }); } } }); }; initFormSubmit(); $completeButton.on('click', function (evt) { evt.preventDefault(); evt.window.location.reload(); }); }());
FAQs
Chicken Kiev (a.k.a. chicken Kyiv and côtelette de volaille) is a Russian dish that's prepared by rolling chicken breasts or cutlets around herbed butter, coated with egg and breadcrumbs, and then fried to crispy perfection.
How do you make chicken Kiev not leak? ›
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.
Where did the Kyiv cutlet come from? ›
It would be logical to assume that the name of the dish originates from the name of the capital of Ukraine – Kyiv., but it does not. Even though there is no documented proof, many Ukrainian chefs agree that authentic recipe originates from France.
What is a chicken Kiev now called? ›
Graeme Demianyk. 4 March 2022 3-min read. (Photo: lenazap via Getty Images) Sainsbury's is renaming chicken Kievs to match the Ukrainian spelling of their capital city Kyiv in the wake of the Russian invasion.
What is the difference between chicken Kiev and Chicken Kyiv? ›
The spelling Kyiv is AP style for the capital of Ukraine, in line with the Ukrainian government's preferred transliteration to English and increasing usage. The style for the food dish remains chicken Kiev.
Is chicken Kiev good for you? ›
Chicken Kiev is a dish that typically consists of a boneless chicken breast that has been pounded flat, stuffed with garlic butter, breaded, and then fried. The dish is known for its rich flavor, but it is not typically considered a health food due to its high fat and calorie content.
Why is my chicken Kiev pink inside? ›
Color does not indicate doneness. The USDA further explains that even fully cooked poultry can sometimes show a pinkish tinge in the meat and juices. This is particularly true of young chickens whose bones and skin are still very permeable.
Do they eat chicken Kiev in Kiev? ›
The main dish that represents modern Ukrainian cuisine is undoubtedly Chicken Kiev. It is already a popular food in many restaurants of London and New York, so perhaps not surprisingly, the Ukrainian capital has a restaurant of the same name.
Should you flip chicken Kievs? ›
Flip every 3-5 minutes until golden brown and chicken reaches a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees, 10-14 minutes.
Does putting bread under chicken Kiev work? ›
He captioned his photo: “Life hack - put bread under kievs to capture garlic butter leakage and make garlic bread.” So simple, yet so effective.
Pounding helps tenderize the meat by breaking down its tough fibers. It also thins it out for more even cooking. Do this before frying, grilling, or roasting for better retention of moisture content. To tenderize chicken breast, place the meat on a durable, flat surface.
What is a Russian cutlet called? ›
A Pozharsky cutlet (Russian: пожарская котлета, pozharskaya kotleta, plural: пожарские котлеты, pozharskie kotlety; also spelled Pojarski) is a breaded ground chicken or veal patty that is typical of Russian cuisine.
Why is it called Russian cutlet? ›
Russian kotleta or cutlet could trace its footsteps back to the early 19th century. Yevdokim Pozharsky, an owner of an inn and restaurant in the town of Torzhok, in Russia, famously made this signature cutlet which later came to be known as the Pozharsky cutlet.
What are Russian cutlets made of? ›
Russian Cutlet, known as “Kotleta” in Russian, is a pan-fried minced meat dish that contains onions, garlic and various herbs. It is definitely one of the most popular house dishes in Russia, served with side dishes such as mashed potatoes, fries, pasta, buckweat and barley.
Did chicken Kiev originate in Ukraine? ›
According to the Russians, chicken Kiev originated in the Muscovy region of the old Empire. The recipe – for a chicken filled with butter sauce and covered in breadcrumbs – was modified to perfection in the 19th century by a Ukrainian chef, hence the misleading name.
When did Kiev become Russian? ›
In 1793 the Second Partition of Poland, under Russian Empress Catherine II (the Great), brought Right Bank Ukraine into the Russian Empire, and Kyiv, assisted by the abolition in 1754 of the tariff barriers between Russia and the Ukrainian lands, began to grow in commercial importance.
When did Kiev become Ukraine? ›
Its membership was elected in April 1917 by the constituent All-Ukrainian National Congress. In January 1918 the Central Rada proclaimed an independent Ukrainian state with Kyiv as its capital.
Was Kiev always part of Ukraine? ›
Kyiv prospered in the Russian industrial revolution of the late 19th century. In the conflicts and turbulence that followed the October Revolution of 1917, it became the capital of several short-lived Ukrainian states. From 1921 on. it was part of the Soviet Union, and from 1934 the capital of Soviet Ukraine.
