Chicken Kiev is prepared with chicken breast stuffed with butter in (Russia) or garlic butter in (North America) and breaded. It is a real pleasure to savour the crunchy coating as well as the chicken laden with the butter sauce.
Put the butter, garlic, parsley, tarragon, black pepper and lemon juice in a small bowl or the bowl of the food processor and beat until well blended with remaining parsley particles. Put the garlic butter on a piece of parcment or wax paper and shape in a narrow cylinder. Reserve in freezer.
With a heavy skillet or a chinese cleaver, flatten each chicken breasts between 2 sheets of parchment of wax paper. Reserve in refrigerator.
Cut butter in 4 pieces. Put one piece of butter in the center of a chicken breast, wrap butter with breast securing it with toothpicks. Proceed with remaining chicken breasts and butter pieces.
Put flour in a pie plate, beat eggs in a medium bowl and scatter bread crumbs in a pie plate or cake pan.
Have ready a lightly floured dinner plate. Coat one piece of stuffed chicken with flour, shake to remove excess flour, dip in beaten eggs and coat with breadcrumbs. Put breaded chicken pieces on dinner plate leaving space between them. Refrigerate.
Heat the oil at 360 °F (180°C) in a deep fryer or a deep heavy casserole. Preheat the oven to 350 °F (185°C).
Fry the chicken 5 to 10 minutes until brown. To add more time: 1 minute . Chicken balls must not touch while frying.
Bake 10 minutes .
Guests should gently cut the chicken Kiev to prevent butter spurting. Toothpicks are removed by guests as they are discovered.
Servings 4