Chicken Breast Kotleti

Blog's Category: USSR-era Recipes, My Staple Food

Intro
Chicken breast kotleti was strictly for kids... or for ill and weak. That happened just because chicken in USSR was sold almost always as a whole bird, we never saw pack of only chicken breasts, or only chicken drumsticks. So, limited quantity of kotlets made of breasts of a single chicken, was exclusive treat to us. Things change. Now not just my kids but also less privileged family members (he-he) can enjoy these delicious and delicate chicken breast patties. This is something that my almost grown up son still receives occasionally from his grandma as "baby-treat".

Variations
- It's your choice - to make your own ground chicken breast or to buy one. Just make sure it is indeed made of 100% chicken breast.
- Oatmeal can be replaced with plain bread crumbs. Actually, traditionally, cored white bread pieces soaked in a milk should  be in a place of oatmeal. But I like to use regular oatmeal (quick cooking is all right) just because it's more healthy option. By the way if you need to sneak oatmeal into your loved one diet - that's the way to do it. I bet he/she would never guess it's there - just try.

Taste Description
It's a very delicate nevertheless very flavorful, soft and juicy alternative to meatballs or even, forgive me, burger!  It's delightfully meaty with a silky chewiness to it - best of the all ground meat patties.

How to Serve
Serve it with pasta, vegetable or potato sides.
It can go inside you bun with or without all that additions such as onion/tomato/lettuce combos.
Make it small - and it will be hit at your cocktail party.

Chicken Breast Kotleti

Makes about 14: 

3 lb chicken breast (or chicken tenders)
1 medium onion, finely grated (or processed in a blender with 2 tbs of water)
1 egg 
1 c dry oatmeal
1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt
2/3 c water
light olive oil for frying

- Use meat grinder to ground your chicken breast.

- To the ground chicken breast, add grated (blended) onion, egg, oatmeal, water, salt and pepper and mix it very well with your hands until smooth and uniform.

- Preheat your pan with olive oil. With your hands, make patties in a shape you like or in a traditional boat shape (see pictures below). Fry them on a medium-medium (yes..not medium-high and not medium-low but somewhere in between). When bottom of your kotleti is nice golden-brown, flip it over, turn your heat just a tiny bit lower and cook until another side is golden-brown too.

- Transfer them to the plate and watch out for passing by dudes trying to steal kotleti before dinner starts. Enjoy!

Tips

- To make kotleti even and uniform, use cookie dough scoop.

- I do not prepare/shape my patties in advance and then fry them - I place my pan on a heat and as soon as oil starts to sizzle, I load the pan with kotleti one by one as I shape them. That means I  flip them over and remove them from a pan also one by one. It works for me just fine.

- Use two pans/skillets to speed up your process - after you have loaded your first pan with a first batch, get your second pan on a heat and start to load this one.

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IN PICTURES

All ingredients are in.. I just need to add a little water to bring juiciness up a notch and mix it very well.

These kotleti are for "insiders" so I didn't try to make them really even and pretty. Use cookie dough scoop to make them even in size.

Anyway.. aren't they beautiful?

I knew that... one is missing.. Who did it?

I can't believe I don't eat this anymore (hello to all vegetarians!).. it's so-o-o seductive.

Well, I use my son's and husband taste buds for testing it! Fast disappearance from a fridge tells it all also..