Recipes

A classic recipe for chicken Kiev, it's chosen from John Torode's Chicken and Other Birds. He writes "Who could not love chicken kiev? Soft, sweet delicious chicken crusted with crisp breadcrumbs and herb-rich butter flowing from the centre - that, my friend, is the perfect chicken kiev and this is the perfect recipe."

Serves 2

    50g butter, softened
    1-2 fat cloves garlic, finely chopped
    2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
    1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
    2 tsp lemon juice
    2 skinless chicken supremes (breast with wing bone left on)
    3-4 tbsp plain flour
    1 tsp paprika
    1 large egg
    100g dried breadcrumbs
    Sunflower oil, for frying
    Flaky sea salt and pepper

To serve
    Mashed potato
    Wilted spinach

Method

To make the filling, mix together the butter, garlic, parsley, lemon zest and juice and some salt and pepper. Shape into two logs and chill until firm but not solid.

Heat the oven to 190C. Make a slit lengthwise in each chicken breast and open out like a book. lay each flat between two pieces of cling film with the bone pointing away from you and bash with a meat mallet or rolling pin until 5-10mm thick. Place a log of butter on each flattened breast 2cm in from the edge then roll up the chicken and secure with cocktail sticks.

Mix the flour, paprika and some salt and pepper together in a shallow bowl. Beat the egg in another shallow bowl. Toss the stiffed chicken breasts in the flour until coated and shake off any excess. Slide the chicken into the beaten egg and turn until covered, then cover each chicken breast with flour and egg once more. Finally, dip the chicken into the breadcrumbs and turn to coat completely, again shaking off any excess.

Pour oil into a medium frying pan to a depth of about 1cm and heat thoroughly. Toss in a small cube of bread to check the temperature - it should sizzle and brown straight away. Lower the chicken breasts carefully into the pan and spoon some of the hot oil over the top for about 1 minute to seal the crumbs. Turn over to brown the other side, again spooning oil over the top until the crust is golden - this should take a further 1 or 2 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a shallow roasting pan and bake uncovered for 12-14 minutes, or until the breasts feel firm when pressed. Remove and drain on paper towel. Carefull remove the cocktail sticks and serve with mashed potato and spinach.