Chicken Kiev

Today I'm sharing with you a retro dinner, courtesy of The Food Network Magazine!  I found this retro dinner feature in my Jan/Feb 2012 issue.  The dishes I made were Chicken Kiev and Rice Pilaf Amandine.  I'll share the pilaf recipe with you tomorrow.  As for the rest of the retro recipes, there was also Baked Alaska for dessert and a Dirty Martini recipe.  These two things I excluded from my own meal, but I'll provide the links to the Food Network recipes, in case you want to attempt the entire thing!

Chicken Kiev is pretty simple:  it's a rolled up chicken breast, stuffed with butter and various herbs, then coated in a layer of crispy breadcrumbs.  The chicken is fried, but very briefly, then transferred to the oven where it can finish cooking.  It doesn't contain any strange ingredients, so you can feel safe serving this dish to even the pickiest of eaters.

Clockwise from left:  thyme, tarragon, parsley, and chives

I love the fact that this recipe used panko.  Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) is so much crispier than regular breadcrumbs, and work well with this dish.  It creates a beautiful golden-brown coating around the chicken, and looks so perfect on a plate next to rice pilaf.  I think having a retro dinner is a fun way to eat a meal. Sometimes it's nice to have a theme when you're cooking in the kitchen.  The outcome of this meal is nostalgic, but best of all, delicious!

Check back tomorrow for the second part of this meal:  Rice Pilaf Amandine!
Get the Baked Alaska recipe from Food Network
Get the Dirty Martini recipe from Food Network

Chicken Kiev

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Recipe from The Food Network Magazine - Jan/Feb 2012 issue

Yield:  6 servings

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter

3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon

3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh chives

2 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

6 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 1/2 pounds)

1 cup all purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 Tbsp dijon mustard

2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

Canola oil, for frying

Directions:

Mix the butter, tarragon, parsley, chives, thyme, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper in a bowl.  Scoop the mixture onto a piece of plastic wrap or parchment paper and roll into a 1-inch thick log.  Wrap and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 3 days.  

Slice the frozen butter into 6 equal pieces.  Lay a chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; pound to 1/4-inch thick with a heavy skillet or mallet.  Transfer to a clean piece of plastic wrap and season with salt and pepper.  Put a piece of herbed butter in the center of the chicken; using the plastic wrap as an aid, tightly roll up the chicken starting at a long side, tucking in the short sides as you go.  Tightly wrap the chicken in plastic wrap.  Repeat with the remaining chicken and butter.  Refrigerate the rolls at least 2 hours or overnight.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Set a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.  Put the flour in a shallow dish.  Whisk the eggs and mustard in another shallow dish.  Put the panko in a third dish.  Unwrap the chicken rolls and generously season with salt and pepper.  One at a time, dredge the chicken rolls in the flour, then dip in the egg mixture and roll in the panko to coat.  

Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Fry the chicken rolls in 2 batches, turning, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes.  Transfer to the prepared rack and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes, or when a meat thermometer inserted in the chicken reads 160 degrees F.