Chicken Kiev
The story of making something elegant, yet encapsulating isn't just hard work. In retrospect now, it seems an adventure. The adventure of not just finding motivation over months, but also executing that abstract motivation into an objective culmination article. The story of not just finding a good quality chicken breast, but the adventure of roaming through Chandigarh exotic shops to find the correct ingredients. How Tarragon search, a spice, was proving despicable and how in the end the singular entity might not even matter. Its about the journey.
What I feel immediately now, after having eaten Chicken Kiev, is like the chocolate coded rush in The Matrix Reloaded! The recipe is simple, yet not plain; and certainly wasn't a physical but a mental orgasm through it here, though the flavor flows through my mind and psyche; cause and effect.
A few months back a near relative commented on a recipe (Honey Chilli Cauliflower) I had prepared in celebration of uncle staying an extra day here while visiting home. I could see his eyes closing, as if the love flowing and heart palpitating with all the extra experience just too much for the palate. I feel the same way now. A Brand New Experience .
All the work put in preparation, the nervous instances where I had a knack of overcooking chicken, leading to very dry inside, being nimble to go to the backup mode of baking in oven for phase-2 when the chicken just didn't get thoroughly fried in phase-1; all these moments have eventually made the Chicken Kiev today so much more personal and a living memory; not to mention about going out of the regular mainstream culture of cooking here in Chandigarh 'The Indian Way'.
Of all the things the recipe and I underwent, I'd remember Chicken Kiev for having cooked perfectly inside. All my life till now, while preparing chicken, I wondered what was the right amount of chicken cook. Today, I could taste the juiciness in the chicken and could comment on the quality of chicken itself. The recipe itself has made me nostalgic of my stay in Belgium where eating any recipe was considered healthy and, the correlation between taste and nutrition factor wasn't skewed, especially when eating some cuisine. Chicken Kiev is a French recipe although the name strongly suggests its Ukranian affiliation. Today marks my nervy attempt to this exotic, simple yet delightful main course recipe.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
Chicken breasts - 2
Chicken breast for creating a seal - 1
Unsalted butter - 100 grams (I used D'lecta)
Parsley - 50 gm (chopped fine)
Kosher salt - to taste (say 1 tsp)
Garlic - 5 cloves
Pine nuts - 1 tbsp
Persillade - 1 tbsp (I used Ducor brand preserved back from my Belgian days)
Bread crumbs - 1 cup
Organic eggs - 2 (I prefer organic eggs, they taste very virgin)
Flour - 1 cup
Chicken stock premix - 1cube (I used brand Maggi)
Oil for frying
Rice
The local name is 'Parmal'. I considered it underrated even though it provides much more flavor than the most popular Basmati rice in North India.
Off we go.............
Instructions:
First I made a paste of butter at room temperature and fine chopped parsley.
Then I chopped garlic cloves on put some table salt on it. I mixed the salt and garlic thoroughly, and let them stay there for a bit.
Chop the pine nuts fine and mix salted garlic and crushed pine nuts into the butter parsley mixture. I call it the Filling.
Took a piping bag and put the Filling in the bag. Sealed it.
I then took the chicken breast and cut a slit through it.
Subsequently, I filled the breast with the Filling prepared above and put it on the side.
I then took cling film and wrapped a tender chicken breast with an extra 1/2' bleed on each side of the breast covered on both side. I then took a meat hammer and gently started beating it to flatten the breast out. This shall be used to seal the slit in the chicken breast with the Filling.
Once finished, I took half of the flattened breast and covered the slit. Eventually, I pinned it by using three wooden-tooth picks.
Now I put the two prepared breasts in the refrigerator till I'd prepare the surface coat.
For the surface coat, I took three bowls.
First, filled with flour and chicken stock cube finely crushed and mixed together.
Second, to prep an egg mixture
Third, filled with bread crumbs.
Now, I took the breast out of refrigerator, layered it by dipping completely in the following sequence: Flour-chicken stock -> Egg mixture -> Bread crumbs -> Egg mixture -> Bread crumbs
Once coated, I put the two kievs on a plate, cling wrapped them again and let them stay in refrigerator from 1430-1830 hrs.
Frying:
Took out one kiev, and heated in oil. Once I placed the kiev in oil, the crust quickly got cooked. When I cut through it, the inside was still uncooked. So, I placed it for 5 mins in tandoor over, changing sides every 2 mins. Outside came a melody!
NB - The next time, the frying shall come out fine. It was only that the oil for frying was over heated. I should have known. Normally, only frying should be sufficient for ensuring a thorough, yet tender cook inside.
Note: 'The Indian Way' I refer to anything with a blast of spices.
recipe index -
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chicken-kiev-recipe/index.html
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