Chicken Kiev

Chicken Kiev

Chicken Kiev cut open
Alternative names	Côtelette de volaille, suprême de volaille à la Kiev
Course	Main
Place of origin	Russian Empire
Serving temperature	hot
Main ingredients	Chicken breast, (garlic) butter, herbs, bread crumbs

Chicken Kiev (Ukrainian: котлета по-київськи, kotleta po-kyivsky, Russian: котлета по-киевски, kotleta po-kiyevski; literally "cutlet Kiev-style") is a dish of chicken fillet pounded and rolled around cold butter, then coated with eggs and breadcrumbs, and either fried or baked. In general, the dish of stuffed chicken breast is also known in Russian, Ukrainian and Polish cuisines as côtelette de volaille (Russian: котлета де-воляй, tr. kotleta de-volyay, Polish: kotlet de volaille; from French "chicken cutlet"). Since fillets are often referred to as suprêmes in professional cookery, the dish is also named suprême de volaille à la Kiev. It is particularly popular in the Post-Soviet states, several other countries of the former Eastern Bloc, and in the English-speaking world.

The history of this dish is not well documented, and various sources make controversial claims about its origin.

Since the 18th century Russian chefs have adopted many techniques of French haute cuisine and combined them with the local culinary tradition. The adoption was furthered by the French chefs, such as Marie-Antoine Carême and Urbain Dubois, which were hired by Russian gentry. In particular the use of quality meat cuts, such as various cutlets, steaks, escalopes and suprêmes became widespread in the 19th century, and a number of original dishes involving such cuts were developed in Russia at that time.