Chicken Kiev balls with tarragon-garlic butter
There’s a lot to love about chicken Kiev – especially the garlic butter stuffed in the centre of the chook or beneath the skin. This bite-sized take has the garlic butter in the centre, with yet more for dipping. These little numbers are excellent for entertaining; they can be assembled ahead of time, then quickly cooked to order.
- 30 mins preparation
- 20 mins cooking (plus chilling)
- Serves 16
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Ingredients
- 20 gm butter, diced
- ½ onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 300 gm coarsely minced chicken
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon, plus extra to serve
- Finely grated rind of ½ lemon
- 180 gm sourdough breadcrumbs
- 2 eggs
- Seasoned plain flour, for dusting
- 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve
- Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Garlic butter
- 200 gm butter, softened
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon
- 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp finely chopped chives
- Finely grated rind of ½ lemon
Method
Main
- 11 For garlic butter, beat ingredients in a bowl to combine and season. Place 16 half-teaspoonfuls of garlic butter on a tray lined with baking paper and place in freezer until firm (8-10 minutes). Set remaining garlic butter aside.
- 22 Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent (3-4 minutes). Set aside to cool, then combine in a bowl with chicken, yolk, tarragon, lemon rind and 80gm breadcrumbs. Season generously to taste, then roll into 16 balls with wet hands. Press a piece of firm garlic butter into the centre of each, roll mixture around it to enclose and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- 33 Lightly whisk eggs in a bowl with 1 tbsp water, place seasoned flour in a separate bowl and combine remaining breadcrumbs in a tray with parsley and season to taste. Dip balls first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumb mixture, shaking off excess in between, then place on a tray lined with baking paper, cover and refrigerate until required.
- 44 Heat oil in a deep saucepan to 170C. Deep-fry balls in batches, turning occasionally, until cooked through (4-5 minutes; be careful, hot oil will spit). Drain on paper towels and season to taste.
- 55 Melt remaining garlic butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Scatter chicken Kiev balls with extra herbs and serve with melted garlic butter.
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