CHEEKY CHICKEN KIEV (WITH JONS SPECIAL BUTTER!)

When  you realize how easy it is to make a classic that you might just buy premade from a supermarket you wonder why you have never tried to do it before. Then when you eat it, you wonder if you'll ever buy shop bought again. That's what happened when Jon bought me some chicken and seasoned breadcrumbs this Sunday and prepared some special garlic butter so that I could have a go at making homemade Chicken Kiev's. Let me tell you; these cheeky little treats are incredible and you must, I repeat must give them a go immediately!

When you buy your chicken breasts make sure you buy some nice plump looking ones. They need to big enough to stuff in as much of the delicious garlic butter as possible whilst being able to wrap the chicken right around the filling so that the garlic butter doesn't just ooze out everywhere. Inspect your birds before you buy. A flimsy breast will just not cut it! 

Now I've cheated with the bread crumbs and got a ready made packet of seasoned garlic and herb breadcrumbs. This is a quick and simple recipe after all, so this will save you time if your a busy bee. You can of course go all out and make your own breadcrumb coating for your chicken. Just get some panko breadcrumbs and season them with salt and pepper before adding in the herbs and spices of your choice and mixing together. 

The time saved on your breadcrumbs can go on the real star of the show which is Jon's special butter. This uses a selection of herbs and garlic mixed in some butter which you then need to chill so that its not too soft that it will just run out of our Kiev during roasting. Jon's butter below is delicious but you can add any herbs and spices to your butter that you think will work instead. Add in chili flakes if you want a bit more spice or a smidge of curry powder to give it an Indian twist. It's a simple way to mix up a classic dish. Whatever you use in your butter it will make that chicken breast delicious, moist and melt in your mouth with each bite. 

So lets get to it! The recipe below is enough for two Kiev's so scale the recipe up and down depending on how many you wish to make.

Chicken Kiev 

 2 Tbsp Softened Butter

 3 Grated Garlic Cloves

Pinch Of  Thyme

Pinch Of Marjoram

Pinch Of Rosemary

Pinch Of Oregano

Pinch Of Basil

Pinch Of Cayenne Pepper

 2 Large Chicken Breasts

 2 Tbsp Plain Flour

 1 Small Beaten Egg

 100g Garlic and Herb Breadcrumbs

1. Take the softened butter and mix it together with the garlic cloves, all the herbs and cayenne pepper. Place the butter in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow it to firm up slightly.
2. Butterfly your chicken breasts and open up them up onto a flat clean surface. Remove the chilled butter and divide it between the centre of each of the breasts, keeping it clear of the edges.
3. Fold the chicken breast back over and seal in the butter. Make sure none of the butter can be seen sticking out of the fold inthe breast otherwise this will mean the butter will just run out of the Kiev during roasting.
4. Spoon out the flour, egg and breadcrumbs onto three separate plates. Take one of the breasts and coat it all over, first in the flour followed by the egg making sure you allow any excess egg to run off the breast so that it's not too soggy. Finally, coat the breasts all over in the breadcrumbs and then leave to one side. Wash and dry you hands then repeat with the second breast.
5. Cover the breasts with film and leave to chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Whilst they chill, turn your oven on to 200 degrees (180 fan) and heat a frying pan with around 1cm of sunflower oil on a medium/high heat.
6. Once the breasts have chilled, check that the oil in your pan is hot enough by sprinkling in a pinch of breadcrumbs. They should fizz instantly when hitting the oil. If so, carefully place in one of the breasts and fry for a minute or two on one side until the breadcrumbs crisp slightly and are golden brown then carefully flip it over and repeat on the opposite side. Remove from the pan and leave to rest whilst you repeat with the second breast.
7. Place the breasts in a deep sided baking tray lined with foil and bake 15-20 minutes Use the cooking time on the chicken breast packet as a guide as cooking times will depend on the size of your breasts.

By using a deep sided pan you will be able to retain any of the garlic butter that may unfortunately run out of the breast. Pour this onto your plate and you can always dip your chicken into it. It's still delicious. In a perfect scenario you should be able to cut through your Kiev and watch that beautiful herby garlic butter run out onto your plate and marvel at the beautifully white, plump and moist chicken hiding under the breadcrumb layer. Pure heaven.

Serve your cheeky chicken Kiev's with some potatoes and veg for the perfect Sunday Roast.