Chicken Kievs
Makes 8 Prep 20 mins Cook 30- 40 mins £1.21 a portion 549 kcals, 35g fat, 17g sat. fat, 2g sugar 8 skinless, boneless chicken fillets 225g dried breadcrumbs 75g parmesan, grated 5 eggs, beaten 100g plain flour pinch of paprika 4 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
FOR THE GARLIC BUTTER 4 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley 200g butter, softened juice ½ lemon
1 Place all the garlic butter ingredients into a bowl and season. Mash with a fork until well combined, shape into two sausages using cling film to help you shape it, then tightly wrap and chill or freeze until really firm. Can be made up to 3 days in advance. When firm, slice each into eight pieces.
2 Lay a chicken breast on a chopping board and use a sharp knife to make a deep pocket inside the breast. The easiest way is to push the point of a knife into the fat end, keep going halfway into the fillet. Be careful not to cut all the way through or the butter will leak out during cooking. Repeat with the remaining breasts. Push two discs of butter inside each chicken breast, press to flatten and re-seal with your hands. Set aside.
3 Mix the breadcrumbs and parmesan on one plate, and tip the eggs onto another. On a third plate, mix the flour with the paprika and some salt. Dip each breast into the flour, then the egg and finally the breadcrumbs, repeating so each kiev has a double coating (this will make them extra crisp and help to keep the butter inside). Chill for at least 1 hr before cooking, or freeze now.
4 To cook, heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the kievs for 2-3 mins each side until golden – you may need to do this in batches. Transfer to a baking tray and cook for 20-25 mins until cooked through.