Chicken Kyiv on the Bone with Lemon-Herb Butter

Method

1. Chop the dill, parsley and chives very finely, grate the garlic and finely zest half the lemon (yellow part only). Mix with the soft butter and a little of the salt, then shape into finger-thick logs on cling film, one per serving, wrap and freeze for 40 min until hard.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter, softened 60 gFresh dill 6 gFresh flat-leaf parsley 5 gChives 3 gUnwaxed lemon ¼Garlic clove 1Salt ⅛ tsp

2. Make fresh crumbs: cut the crusts off the bread, tear the crumb into pieces and pulse briefly in a blender into coarse crumbs. Spread them on a baking tray and dry in the oven at 120 °C for 10 min, until crisp but not coloured, then let them cool. These crumbs give a far lighter, crunchier crust than shop-bought ones.

   Add in this stepDay-old white bread (weight with crusts) 100 g

   oven

3. Remove the small inner fillet from each supreme. With a small knife, scrape the meat and sinew off the end of the wing bone so it is clean. Leave the bone attached, open the thick part out like a book, and pound it between cling film to an even 6 to 7 mm. Pound the small fillets thin too, and season everything with the rest of the salt and the white pepper.

   Add in this stepChicken supremes (breast with wing bone) or skinless breasts 2Salt 0.4 tspGround white pepper ¼ tsp

4. Lay a butter log in the centre, fold in the sides and roll up tightly, leaving the bone sticking out as a handle. Patch gaps with the small fillet. Wrap tightly in cling film like a sweet and chill for 20 min to set the shape. Meanwhile, turn the oven up to 180 °C.

5. Beat the eggs with the Dijon until smooth. Coat the chicken in flour, then egg, then crumbs, then egg and crumbs again, pressing the crumbs on firmly with your palm. Wrap the bone in a little foil so it doesn't burn. Chill for 15 min.

   Add in this stepPlain flour 30 gEggs 2Dijon mustard 1 tsp

6. Pour oil about 3 cm deep into a 20 cm pot, heat it on medium-high heat to 170 °C, and slide in no more than two at a time from the edge with tongs. Fry for 4 min, turning once, until deep golden, then drain on a rack.

   Add in this stepSunflower oil, for frying 1,000 ml

   medium-high heat

7. Set the rack on a baking tray and bake in the oven at 180 °C for 10 min, until the centre reaches 74 °C. Rest for 3 minutes, peel the foil off the bones and serve with the rest of the lemon cut into wedges, cutting into them at the table.

   Add in this stepUnwaxed lemon ¼

   oven