Curried chicken Kyiv with squash sag aloo

  • medium
  • 4
  • 1 hour 30 minutes
Not yet rated

The retro chicken Kyiv is given a gourmet overhaul by Simon Hulstone who adds butternut squash, sag aloo (spinach and potato) to this exciting interpretation.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Chicken Kyiv

Curry sauce

Squash sag aloo

To plate

Equipment

  • Greaseproof paper
  • 4 small ring moulds
  • Deep-fryer
  • 3 inch metal rings

Method

1
Begin this recipe by making the curry sauce. In a high sided saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter and add the shallots and garlic. Cook until soft and slightly golden
2
Add the curry powder and cook for 30 seconds, then add the flour and cook for 30 seconds more. At this stage, add the chicken stock, making sure to stir constantly. Cook while stirring for 1 minute and this will thicken very quickly
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of curry powder
  • 20g of flour
  • 100ml of chicken stock
3
Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. Once the mixture thickens again, remove from the heat and transfer to a blender, but only fill your jug blender half way - do this in a few batches if you have to. Slowly take the blender up to full speed and blend until smooth. Add salt to taste
4
Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and set aside to cool. Once the mixture has cooled, combine with the softened 100g of butter and whisk until fully mixed - it should turn slightly more pale in colour
5
On a large piece of cling film, place the butter mixture down the middle to form a thin sausage shape, leaving gaps at both ends of the cling film. Fold the cling film over the mix and roll to form a neat cylinder of butter – 2cm diameter. Tie off the ends of the cling film and set in the freezer until required
6

To prepare the chicken Kyiv, butterfly each chicken breast and place between 2 sheets of cling film, beat gently with a rolling pin or kitchen mallet to flatten slightly

7
Remove the cling film from the curry butter and cut the cylinder into 2cm thick discs. Remove the top layer of cling film from the chicken breast and place each disk of sauce in the middle of each chicken breast. Then, fold the outer edges of the chicken breast over, so that the frozen curry sauce is enclosed. Repeat this process for each breast
8

Set up your dipping station with 3 bowls big enough to coat your Kyiv in. In one bowl, add a pinch of salt to the flour. In another, beat the eggs with the milk and a pinch of salt. Place the breadcrumbs in the third bowl

  • salt
  • 400g of Panko breadcrumbs (1)
  • 200g of flour
  • 100ml of milk
  • 4 eggs
9
Roll each chicken breast, one by one, in the flour, trying to maintain the ball-like shape. Roll into the egg mix, making sure they're covered. Shake any excess egg off, and then roll in the breadcrumbs. Dip again in the egg mix and then back into the breadcrumbs for a second coat
10

Place the chicken Kyivs onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper and set aside in the fridge until needed

11
Place a large pan of water over a high heat
12
Meanwhile, place a large frying pan over a medium heat. Once the frying pan is hot, add the oil, onions and garlic. Cook until tender or slightly coloured. Add the spices and cook for at least a minute. Remove the from the heat and set aside
13
Once the water is boiling, add a pinch of salt and cook the diced potatoes in the water for 5-10 minutes - depending on their size
14
Using a slotted spoon, remove the potato and place on a tray to cool. Repeat the process with the butternut squash - again it can take up to 10 minutes, depending on the size of the chunks
15
Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. Blanch the washed spinach in the boiling water for no more than 10 seconds, then plunge into your ice bath. Discard the boiling water. Once the spinach has chilled, drain the spinach and squeeze any excess water out with a cloth
16
Place the pan containing the onions and spices back onto the stove over a medium heat. Once the onions begin to fry again, add the potato, squash and spinach
17
Mix all the ingredients; you want the edges of the potato and squash to break up a little bit, but not so they are mashed. Add the salt to taste and place on a tray to cool. Once cool, transfer into a tub and store until needed
18
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas mark 4, and set your deep fryer to 180ºC
19

Shape the Kyivs in your hands so that they are still round. Fry in the deep fat fryer until golden on both sides

20

Once golden, put the Kyivs on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and place in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Using a temperature probe, heat to 63ºC. Once 63ºC is reached, turn off the oven but leave the Kyivs in to keep warm

21
Reheat your sag aloo on the stove. Once hot, arrange the sag aloo in the middle of each plate, you can use a metal ring to hold it together
22

Remove the ring, then sit the cooked Kyiv on top and arrange the coriander neatly around the plate. Serve immediately

First published in 2015
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Simon Hulstone's aesthetically pleasing and rewarding cuisine can be found in Torquay at The Elephant, which holds a Michelin star.

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