Chicken Kiev is a popular dish of boneless chicken

Chicken

The chicken is a domesticated fowl, a subspecies of the Red Junglefowl. As one of the most common and widespread domestic animals, and with a population of more than 24 billion in 2003, there are more chickens in the world than any other species of bird...

 breast pounded and rolled around cold garlic butter with herbs, then breaded and either fried

Frying

Frying is the cooking of food in oil or another fat, a technique that originated in ancient Egypt around 2500 BC. Chemically, oils and fats are the same, differing only in melting point, but the distinction is only made when needed. In commerce, many fats are called oils by custom, e.g...

 or baked

Baking

Baking is the technique of prolonged cooking of food by dry heat acting by convection, and not by radiation, normally in an oven, but also in hot ashes, or on hot stones. It is primarily used for the preparation of bread, cakes, pastries and pies, tarts, quiches, cookies and crackers. Such items...

.

Etymology

The dish has traditionally been considered Ukrainian

Ukrainian cuisine

Ukrainian cuisine has significant diversity, historical traditions. "Cuisine - Flavors and Colors of Ukrainian Culture."] . Accessed July 2011. Common foods used include meats, vegetables, mushrooms, fruits, berries and herbs...

 in origin and the name of it comes from the name of the capital of Ukraine

Ukraine

Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...

, Kiev

Kiev

Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....

.

However, the Russian food historian William Pokhlebkin

William Pokhlebkin

William Vasilyevich Pokhlyobkin was primarily known in Russia as an author of numerous culinary books...

 claimed that Chicken Kiev was invented in the Moscow Merchants' Club in the early 20th century and was renamed Chicken Kiev (котлета по-київськи, kotleta po-kievsky, lit. 'cutlet

Cutlet

Cutlet refers to:# a thin slice of meat from the leg or ribs of veal, pork, or mutton # a fried cutlet# a croquette made of minced meat...

 Kiev-style') in one of the Soviet restaurants in later years.

In popular culture

• Chicken Kiev is the label used by William Safire
  William Safire
  William Lewis Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist and presidential speechwriter....
  
   for a speech made in Kiev in August 1991 by then U.S. President George H.W. Bush cautioning Ukrainians
  Ukrainians
  Ukrainians are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Ukraine, which is the sixth-largest nation in Europe. The Constitution of Ukraine applies the term 'Ukrainians' to all its citizens...
  
   against "suicidal nationalism
  Nationalism
  Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
  
  ": "We will maintain the strongest possible relationship with the Soviet Government of President Gorbachev ... as a federation ourselves, we want good relations ... with the Republics ... Americans will not support those who seek independence in order to replace a far-off tyranny with a local despotism. They will not aid those who promote a suicidal nationalism based upon ethnical hatred." (H.W. Bush 1991) Three months later, Ukrainians voted to withdraw
  Ukrainian independence referendum, 1991
  A referendum on the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine took place in Ukraine on December 1, 1991. The only question of the referendum was: "Do you support the Act of Declaration of Independence of Ukraine?" – with the text of the Declaration as a preamble to the question...
  
   from the Soviet Union
  Soviet Union
  The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
  
  .
• Chicken Kiev, introduced in Britain in 1976, was Marks & Spencer
  Marks & Spencer
  Marks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
  
  's first ready-made meal
  TV dinner
  A TV dinner is a prepackaged frozen or chilled meal that usually comes as an individual portion...
  
  .

Similar dishes

There are other dishes similar to Chicken Kiev. Particularly popular is Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a popular dish of boneless chicken breast pounded and rolled around a pork meat and a soft cheese and then either fried or baked.-History:...

with a cheese and ham filling instead of butter.