This week I’m “liveblogging” my trip to Ukraine. Unlike traditional reports, these posts will be shorter and more frequent.
Chicken Kyiv is a смачний (delicious) dish. How have I missed it all these years?
Chicken Kyiv In Kyiv
On my way back from my road trip, I made a stop at a friend’s seminary. I’m too tired to write about that now, but will combine the report tomorrow with a visit to his church and his home.
When I got back to the Hyatt, it was close to curfew and I was too late to eat in a restaurant. These days, most restaurants close across the city at 9:00 pm. Ukrainian nightlife is on hiatus with a daily 11:00 pm curfew. I did a quick walk around the block just as the clock struck 11:00 pm and the city was totally silent and nearly dark. Eerie indeed. Not a single person was out.
Thankfully, the Hyatt offers 24/7 room service and I ordered a “Chicken Kyiv” as well as a glass of fresh-squeezed apple juice.
Chicken Kyiv is a dish made of chicken fillet pounded and rolled around cold butter, stuffed with herbs and mushroom sauce, then coated with egg and bread crumbs, and fried (sometimes baked). Some call it suprême de volaille à la Kyiv.
My tray arrived with one large piece of chicken and a side of potatoes, cooked tomatoes, and sautéed onions.
I dug in. Verdict? Mouthwatering and delicious. So delectable! I love the strong taste of dill, which gave the whole dish such a pleasant flavor and the different textures were amazing.
If a hotel version was this good, I wonder how much better homemade Chicken Kyiv must be.
In any case, I look forward to trying to make it at home!
Any good Chicken Kyiv recipe you wish to share with me?
I have been waiting for the food! I love that butter burst when first cut open. To honor you’re trip I actually tried a recipe a few nights ago
Thank you for taking all of us on an adventure. Awesome
I neglected to mention that after loading up in the SWISS Alpine Lounge in ZRH, I did not eat for nearly 48 hours. So odd, right? I wasn’t hungry on the train and when I got to Kyiv I had a few cups of coffee but did not feel like anything else unit breakfast late the next morning. Even then, I was not even hungry…I ate to break my fast because I thought it was strange, not because my stomach was growling. That must have been a lot of calories in the United and SWISS food! 😉
So excited I didn’t leave my recipe. Pound chicken breast, freeze a pencil of butter. I used a spinach, garlic, bit of onion filling cooked & squeezed dry. Season as you like. Roll filling butter stick into breast, pin with toothpick. Dip in egg wash, dip in breadcrumbs. Put in freezer for about half hour. Spray with olive oil or butter spray
375 about 30+ mins. Yum
Sounds delicious!
Note the breast can be filled with other veggies. Key is to precook and squeeze dry. Cool whatever filling and proceed. Probably in air fryer would work, but I don’t know.
No perogies? Ukrainians do perogies so simply but it’s freaking delicious! Just boil them, strain and put them in a bowl, add a ton of butter and sour cream and then feast.
That looks really good for a Regency room service. And it runs 24/7? Heck, even Four Seasons in many markets have forgone the 24 hour room service.
United Polaris should see this. Or maybe not. They will want to service a side of chicken nuggets with it.
I’ve had a variety of Chicken Kiev recipes including cooked on the Przemysl-Odessa train by this HUGE olympic athlete that barely fit into the kitchen. Overall, I enjoyed the frozen ones I found at safeway and Aldi nearly as much (on sale!) Yeah, I’m lazy but I’m busy with a child so I have to make do…
It is a copyright violation to just copy several sentences verbatim from Wikipedia without referencing the source.
Good thing I didn’t do that.
It’s Kiev not kiyv, and f**k zelenski and your neo nazi pro-western ukraine friends matthew
Trolling much?
I’m chuckling because although I probably mispronounce Kyiv all the time, my Ukrainian wife never points it out. She gets irked at me mispronouncing all kinds of other words such as bear (myshka) versus mouse (mishka) (or the other way around?) It’s so subtle. I don’t say “THE Ukraine”, at least.
TBH, I always assumed chicken Kyiv was a dish invented elsewhere for the tourists, which is why I’ve never rushed out to try it. That looks incredibly delicious, though. I’m going to have to seek it out.
Wow, thanks for sharing your trip report with us! We’ve never been to Ukraine and definitely want to visit again!
How can you visit again if you’ve never been?
I really like this recipe perfected by America’s Test Kitchen! https://wholesomefeasts.blogspot.com/2010/04/americas-test-kitchen-chicken-kiev.html