Mini Chicken Kievs

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 80 g plain flour
• 120 g breadcrumbs
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 80 g butter, softened
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• Dressed green salad, to serve

Method

1. Mash the softened butter with the crushed garlic, chopped parsley, a generous pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper until evenly combined. The garlic stays raw here — it'll cook through inside the chicken — so crush it fine or it'll bite. Spoon onto a sheet of cling film, roll into a tight log about the thickness of your thumb, and freeze for 15 minutes until firm. Firm butter is non-negotiable: soft butter leaks out of the chicken before the crumb sets.
2. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan. Pat the chicken breasts properly dry with kitchen paper — water means steam, and steam means a soggy crumb. Season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Using a small sharp knife, cut a deep pocket into the side of each breast, working the blade as far in as you can without piercing through the other side.
3. Slice the firm butter log into 4 equal portions and push one deep into each pocket. Pinch the opening closed and secure with a cocktail stick — any gap and the molten butter escapes onto the tray instead of pooling inside.
4. Set up three shallow bowls: seasoned flour (salt and pepper in here too), beaten egg, and breadcrumbs. Coat each breast in flour and shake off the excess, then egg, then press firmly into the breadcrumbs, pushing the crumb into every surface. A patchy coat is a leaky kiev. Taste a pinch of the seasoned flour — it should taste properly seasoned, not bland.
5. Place on a lined baking tray, drizzle with the olive oil, and bake for 22–25 minutes until the crumb is deep golden and the chicken reads 70°C at the thickest point with clear juices. Watch the crumb in the last 5 minutes — it can go from golden to bitter-dark fast, and burnt breadcrumbs taste like burnt garlic: the whole kiev turns bitter. Rest for 2 minutes before serving so the butter inside settles into a molten pool rather than running out the moment you cut in.
6. Plate each kiev, scatter over the extra chopped parsley, and tuck a lemon wedge alongside — a squeeze of lemon over the crisp crumb cuts the garlic butter and lifts everything.