Chicken Kiev with Smoked Panchetta and Shanghai Bok Choy

This recipe for Chicken Kiev is a little more international than most, but has a lovely flavour. I was just a wee lad when I discovered this wonderful Russian concotion. Thanks mum!

The savory panchetta offsets the sweet Shanghai Bok Choi perfectly. It's one of my favourite of my own recipes.

Ingredients

2 large free range chicken breasts
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 oz smoked panchetta bacon
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 leaves of shanghai bok choi
1 egg
flour for rolling
oil or shortening for frying
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Place chicken breasts between two sheets of wax or parchment paper. Using a meat tenderizer, pound the chicken breasts flat so they are no more than 1/8th inch thick. Place in refrigerator.
1. Place butter in bowl with tarragon, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and place on plastic wrap or wax paper.
2. Roll up the butter and place in the freezer for twenty minutes or until solid enough to handle.
3. Cube the panchetta and place in a hot pan and fry until it starts to turn brown.
4. Place a paper towel in a colander and allow the fat from the panchetta to drain.
5. Remove the solidified butter from the freezer and cut in two.
6. Place a piece of plastic wrap or wax paper on a cutting board and put a chicken breast on top.
7. Place a leaf of bok choy on the chicken breast. Place a tablespoon of breadcrumbs, a tablespoon of panchetta and one half of the butter mixture at the end of the chicken breast.
8. Fold the sides of the chicken breast over the butter and using the plastic wrap or wax paper, roll up the butter in the chicken breast tightly. Make sure that sides are well sealed. Seal the wrap or paper around the chicken breast tightly and place in the refrigerator for half an hour up to overnight.
9. Whisk the egg with a tablespoon of water until blended and place in a bowl. Add flour to a plate enough to coat both chicken breasts. Add the rest of the breadcrumbs to a third plate.
10. Cover a chicken breast with the flour, coat with the egg and dip into the breadcrumbs until well covered. Make sure that at each step, the breast is well coated equally.

Note: Make sure that the chicken is completely covered in crumbs. The chicken needs to be dry (hence the flour) to make the egg wash stick, and wet to make the crumbs stick.

11. Place enough oil or shortening in a medium sized pan to half an inch depth.
12. When the oil is very hot, but not smoking, place the chicken breasts and heat up to four minutes a side. Check the colour of the crumbs. They should be somewhere between a light and dark golden brown. Turn often if needed making sure the pan or the oil are not too hot.

13. When the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, remove from pan and drain the chicken in a colander. Let rest for a few minutes.

Serve and enjoy.