STUFFED CHICKEN, KIEV-STYLE

SERVES 4

I remember Chicken Kiev that my brother made many years ago. He used a very authentic recipe and it was so good. I have been wanting to make it myself for a long time. After studying many recipes, I decided to go a slightly different route, thus the Kiev-Style in the title. From what I can determine, Chicken Kiev is traditionally made from boneless chicken breasts with the large wing joint bone attached, stuffed with butter flavored mainly with chives, coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried. I decided to use chicken thighs, add tarragon to the chive butter, coat with the crumbs, brown in a skillet and then bake until done. Certainly not authentic, but absolutely delicious. This is not a recipe for anyone concerned about fat or cholesterol. But splurge once in awhile, and make this for a special occasion. Your guests will love it and be impressed by the title alone. By the way, you certainly may substitute the breast for the thigh, or you can use the breast or thigh without the bone attached, and it will be every bit as good. After looking at so many recipes, if I must give credit to any one source, it would be Sara Moulton. I used some of her ideas for the herb butter and the baking technique.

INGREDIENTS

4 large chicken thighs

Salt and pepper to taste

Chilled Herb Butter (see recipe below)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 large egg, beaten with 1 teaspoon water

1 cup homemade dry breadcrumbs (fresh breadcrumbs toasted lightly in the oven)

3 tablespoons canola or other vegetable oil

To prepare the thighs, scrape the meat off of the bone with a small sharp knife, starting at one end, leaving the other end attached at the joint. Remove the skin and discard. Place the thigh between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4-inch thickness. Place skinned side down and sprinkle inside with salt and pepper. Arrange about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the chilled butter in the center of each thigh. (Reserve the remaining butter to flavor cooked noodles as a side dish.) Fold up the sides of the thighs to enclose the butter. Roll each thigh in the flour, shaking off the excess. Then dip in the egg wash and, finally, the breadcrumbs, being certain to coat well. Pat the crumbs into the flesh with your hand to help them stick. Place the thighs on a rack and set, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at east 1 hour. That will help the coating to stick and ensure that the sealed ends will not open during cooking.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully place the thighs in the hot skillet, cooking until both sides are nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a shallow baking dish or sheet, sealed side down, and bake until done, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately, or keep covered loosely with foil for up to 10 minutes.

HERB BUTTER:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened (I always use unsalted)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Cream the butter with the remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using. The butter may also be made several days ahead and frozen until use.

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