Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: Russian
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Main

Here is a Russian specialty which has become world famous. Butter is wrapped inside a thin cutlet; when cooked and cut into, the hot melted butter spurts out as a sauce. It's traditional for the breast of chicken to be cut with the wing bone attached; this gives a small jutting-out bone on each fillet. But only two of these can be obtained from one whole chicken. It's cheaper to use chicken breasts only; taste is just the same, but there's no small bone.

INGREDIENTS

2 large whole chicken breasts (or 2 chickens)
flour
saltpepper
3 eggs
60ml (¼ cup) milk
white breadcrumbs (from bread about 2 days old)
oil, for deep-frying
Butter filling
185g butter
saltpepper
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chives
¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind
pinch tarragon

METHOD

Make butter filling first. Combine softened butter with all ingredients, mix well. Divide mixture into four, shape into four rolls; refrigerate until very firm.

1. If using chicken breasts, remove skin, cut meat away from the bone with sharp knife, giving two chicken fillets from each whole breast. If using whole chickens, remove skin carefully; with sharp knife cut meat from one side of chicken breast, then continue on and cut wing off, keeping the breast and wing in one piece; repeat with other breast and wing.
2. Cut wing off at first joint. With sharp knife, scrape meat off wing so that the bone is clean.
3. With meat mallet or rolling pin pound chicken fillets out thinly. There must be no holes or the butter will run out during cooking. However, if flesh does tear while pounding, overlap the torn pieces and pound gently together until firm again. (Meat can be pounded out between sheets of greaseproof paper.)
4. Place the cold butter roll in centre of each chicken breast. Fold end of chicken over on to the butter, then roll up, completely encasing the butter.
Coat chicken rolls in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Dip in combined beaten eggs and milk, then roll in breadcrumbs; repeat the egg-and-breadcrumbing to cover firmly. Place on tray, refrigerate 1 hour. Lower into deep hot oil, cook for approximately 5 minutes. Do not have oil too hot, or breadcrumbs will brown too quickly before chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4.