There seems to be some dispute as to the origin of chicken kiev, or kotlet kurczeta. The Poles say it originated in the Polish city of Kijow, while the Ukrainians, Russians and French say it is their brain child. Whoever came up with this dish deserves a medal of honor.
It's simple to prepare on the stovetop, making it ideal any time of year, but especially in the summer. Breaded chicken cutlets and breaded pork cutlets are common main course offerings in Polish homes.
Makes 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 (4-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and black pepper
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- All-purpose flour
- 1 large egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water
- Fine bread crumbs
Preparation:
- Remove fat and any cartilage from chicken breasts. Pound each to 1/4-inch thickness between two pieces of plastic wrap. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place 1 piece butter in center of each breast and roll as for an eggroll or burrito. At this point, the breasts can be placed in the freezer for 30 minutes to ensure the butter becomes firm again and won't leak out in the cooking process.
- Dredge breasts in flour, then egg wash and then in breadcrumbs. Repeat, double breading the cutlets. Let them dry for 10 minutes before frying.
- Heat 1 inch of canola oil in large skillet over medium-low heat. Slowly fry cutlets on all sides, for a total of about 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan, drain on paper towels and serve. Be careful when you cut into these, the butter will squirt out!
