Recipe: Gluten free polenta coated chicken kievs

Hello all, and sorry it’s been so long since I last wrote a blog post! Truth be told, it’s been pretty crazy down here recently and I’ve also started training again this week so fear not, I am back!

On Saturday I had a craving for something, and after trundling round Tesco for about 25 minutes I realised what I wanted – chicken kievs.

I’ve tried the gluten free versions before and they’re just not the same – I haven’t had a kiev where hoards of butter oozes out when you cut into it since pre gluten free.

So it was game on – time to put my skills to the test and see if I could make this happen!

And, as luck (and a lot of cocktail sticks) would have it, it WORKED! I was so nervous when I cut them in half and nearly jumped for joy when the melted butter oozed out.

The polenta gave these a nice crunch and golden look, and in my (humble) opinion, is probably slightly more healthier than breadcrumbs….maybe?

So if you’re up for the challenge (and fancy bashing something with a rolling pin – totally the best bit) then here’s the recipe….

Polenta coated chicken kievs (serves two)

Two large chicken breasts

Polenta flour

One egg

100g butter

3 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp tarragon

Sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to Gas 6
2. Crush the three cloves of garlic into a bowl with the butter and mix well. Wrap in a piece of clingfilm into a sausage shape and leave in the fridge to cool for approx 30 mins.
3. Butterfly the chicken breasts – be careful not to cut all the way through – and place each bit between two pieces of clingfilm
4. The best bit – bash with a rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick (enjoy!)
5. Peel off the clingfilm and retrieve the butter mix from the fridge. Cut in half and place half of the butter ‘sausage’ in the centre of each piece of chicken
6. Carefully fold the chicken in like a parcel, securing with cocktail sticks. I had to use about 4/5 per kiev, try and seal up as many of the caps as possible to the butter won’t leak out too much!
7. Crack the egg onto a plate and mix it up.
8. Pour some polenta flour onto a separate place, about 1cm thick
9. Roll each kiev first in the egg, then the polenta, then repeat (so egg, polenta, egg, polenta). Try to use your hands to make sure every part of the kiev is coated
10. Place into an overproof, metal dish, greased with a little butter, and sprinkle with the sea salt
11. Bake for approx 35 minutes, until the polenta is golden and crispy and you’re sure the chicken is cooked.
12. Serve with whatever veg you fancy – and make sure you enjoy the moment you cut it in half!