Pheasant Kiev with Cilantro Lime butter
Initially, my friend couldn't remember the name of this Russian / Ukrainian dish, but it did come to him before dinner was over. My friend is Polish and grew up in Poland, next door to Ukraine. When he called this dish De Volaille, which it is how it's most commonly referred to in Ukraine, I had no idea what he was talking about. He made it sound so good though, I immediately came home and started researching how it was made. Turns out De Volaille, or Chicken Kiev ( as I knew it ) was created by a Russian Chef studying French Cuisine. I took a lot of notes on my phone and continually wrote down ideas on how I could recreate this and sort of make it my own. I swear I changed my mind a hundred times, but this is what I eventually came up with, a sort of a Mexican-Ukrainian fusion dish.
Traditional Chicken Kiev, is breast meat pounded flat with a dab of herbed butter placed in the center and folded up into a ball or rolled up into a log, so that the butter is sealed inside. It's then usually breaded on the outside and deep fried for a few minutes, then moved to the oven to finish. Once it's done, when you cut into it, flavored butter spurts out everywhere. The butter inside helps keep the meat moist and flavorful. I decided to put a Mexican twist on this dish, was Chili and Lime infused Panko breadcrumbs, Cilantro Lime butter, Mexican Rice with White Queso, Salsa Verde and a Jalapeno Cilantro Moscow Mule. You can use whatever flavors you like, but around here, we eat a lot of Mexican food. The little town we live in only has about 4500 people living in it, but there are at least three Mexican restaurants. Generally, after Karate class on Thursday night, a bunch of us will go to the Mexican restaurant to eat, it seemed only fitting that since karate class was the inspiration for this recipe that I include a Mexican twist. This recipe might seem difficult at first glance, but it's actually well worth the time. Don't be afraid to substitute whatever flavors are appealing to you, along with whatever sides you would prefer. This was my first attempt at making this dish and we were all very happy with the way it turned out. Hope you enjoy.
Related Aritlces
Pheasant Bolognese with Kale and Parmesan
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Blackened Pheasant Jambalaya
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