Recipe video above. The trick to ensuring the melted butter stays firmly sealed inside Chicken Kiev? Partially freezing the chicken. Stops the chicken from moving as you handle it for coating / cooking which ensures the chicken remains sealed and keeps the molten river of garlic butter inside!For a real Kiev experience, you do need to deep fry. BUT for the very best healthier baked option, see Note 6.
Garlic butter filling: Place ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.
Shape and chill butter: Scrape butter on to a small sheet of baking / parchment paper and roughly shape into 10 x 6cm / 4 x 2.4" rectangle. Refrigerate until firm, then cut in half lengthwise to form two batons.
Pound chicken: Place chicken smooth side down between two freezer bags or paper (Note 3). Pound to an even 0.5 cm / 0.2" thickness using a meat mallet (Note 4 for tips!)
Season: Sprinkle each side of the chicken with salt and pepper.
Stuff and roll up chicken: Place a baton of butter in the middle. Trim edges if needed, then add trimmings into the centre. Fold sides in over the butter, then roll the chicken up starting from the bottom, finishing with the seam side down.
Wrap and partially freeze: Wrap the chicken log in cling wrap, twisting the ends tightly to create a firm log shape. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes until the surface is fairly firm to touch, but not frozen solid. (Note 5)
Crumb: Place egg, flour and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Coat chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Coat in egg, drip off excess. Then coat in breadcrumbs, pressing to adhere.
Partial freeze: Place crumbed chicken in the freezer for 30 minutes until fairly firm to handle (but not frozen solid).
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Place a rack on a tray.
Fry: Heat oil in a heavy based pot to 190°C / 375°F. Carefully place chicken in the oil and cook, turning once or twice, until golden (2 - 3 minutes). It will still be raw inside.
Bake: Place chicken on a rack and bake for 15 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 65°C / 150°F. Pierce the top so you don't cause butter leakage!
Rest for 2 minutes, then serve, sprinkled with a pinch of parsley if desired!
Notes
1. Chicken breast – Breast is needed here because it is large and thick enough to make a solid roulade (rolled meat).2. Panko breadcrumbs – Panko breadcrumbs are a Japanese breadcrumb favoured for the extra-crispy coating it gives crumbed foods. You can buy at most big supermarkets (Coles, Woolworths) in the Asian foods section and good grocers. Substitute with regular breadcrumbs if you can't find it.3.Sheets for pounding - I use a product called "Go Between" which is like freezer bags but they are sheets used to keep food separated in the freezer (for easy portion control). It comes in a roll like cling wrap, brand is Glad (Australia). You can use parchment/baking paper or freezer bags as well.4. Pounding - if you don't have a meat mallet, a rolling pin, can or anything of similar shape/heaviness will work just fine. It's very satisfying!Shape - Try to pound the chicken into an even rectangle (ideal!) / oval (also ideal!) shape, as best you can. Don't worry about scraggly edges - don't trim.Take care to avoid tearing the chicken, but if you do, don't worry. I always seem to end up with a tear, just get a scrap of chicken off the edge and place it over the hole. It will bond once cooked.5. Partial freezing - This step is key to ensuring that the chicken stays well sealed and holds the butter inside. By partially freezing the chicken, it means the chicken is firmer to handle so the chicken wrapping stays in place as you coat and fry the Kiev. If you don't do the partial freezing step, the seams can slip and shift as you handle the chicken which will break the seams and cause the butter to leak out.6. Fully baked option (ie no frying) - Using the method in this tried and proven Truly Crispy Baked Crumbed Chicken Tenders, toast breadcrumbs sprayed with oil until golden and crunchy. Cool, the use to crumb the Chicken Kiev. Bake 20 minutes.7. Nutrition per serving.