Can You Pair Chicken Kiev With Sparkling Wine?

The right Sparkling Wine will hold its own against pretty much any food combination, but when you combine quality in the glass and quality on the plate, by way of a home-cooked meal, with meat from a butcher, then that task of finding the perfect combination becomes that little bit easier, spoiler alert, this combination was thrilling.

But first, like we normally do, let’s learn a little about what we’re about to eat, it’s actually nice to know a little bit of the origins and how certain dishes came to be before indulging in them.

What is a Chicken Kiev?

Chicken Kiev is a chicken dish, containing a chicken fillet that has been pounded and rolled around in a bath of cold butter, it then gets egg rubbed all over and is coated in bread crumbs to then relax by either being baked or fried.

Where did Chicken Kiev originate from?

The origins are a little bit of a mystery, but it is Russia that stands strong with their claim, they say it originated in the Muscovy region of the old Empire, the original recipe was chicken filled with butter sauce and covered in bread crumbs, it was then a Ukrainian chef who perfected it in the 19th century.

One of the things that throw the Russian origin into question is the fact that many Russian chefs took inspiration and techniques from French haute cuisine, ‘which means high-level cuisine’, a few French chefs were even hired by the Russian gentry (rich, high-ups, well-born) so the dish could very well have come from Russia, it just might have been made by a Frenchman.

Although combating the Russian origin claim is the French themselves, who were actually the first to claim the credit for inventing the Chicken Kiev, the story goes that in Paris in the 1790s, a chef by the name of Nicolas François Appert wanted to find a way to preserve food in a bottle, soldiers were always going off to fight in wars and it takes a lot of effort to keep thousands of soldiers fed, so after some trial and error, he found a way to preserve food in bottles, and for his achievement, Napoleon Bonaparte himself ordered he be given 12,000 francs for his effort and he has even gone down in history as the ‘father of canning’ as he was the first to preserve food.

As to how that story relates to the Chicken Kiev, one of the first meals he was able to preserve in a bottle was an early version of a Chicken Kiev.

Why is Chicken Kiev called Chicken Kiev?

Just like the Russians and French both claiming credit for creating the Chicken Kiev, it’s the Ukrainians and Americans that both claim credit for naming it.

When the Ukrainian chef perfected the Chicken Kiev, it’s believed he might have given the dish its name, naming it after the capital of his country, “Kyiv”. You might be thinking then why is it not called “Chicken Kyiv”, I don’t have an answer to that question, but ‘Kiev’ is another way you can spell/refer to the capital of Ukraine.

Or from the American’s point of view, their story goes like this. Restaurants in America have been serving breaded chicken breast stuffed with garlicky butter since the 1930s, but one day in the city of Chicago, Colonel Yaschenko was serving customers in his restaurant called ‘Yar’, when a former Russian soldier enters and sits down, Colonel Yaschenko served him a ‘stuffed breast of chicken, Kiev style’, now I’m not sure if it was Colonel Yaschenko who first renamed it or someone else, but it’s said that the American’s remained their Chicken Supreme dish to Chicken Kiev to lure in homesick immigrants, promising them a “real taste of old Russia”.

The Sparkling Wine

Borgo Conventi has been taking care of its vineyards since 1975. The land in which Borgo Conventi is located was once owned by a noble landowner, where the first monastery in Farra d’Isonzo was built, today the land is covered by vines and the Borgo Conventi estate.

In 2001 the estate was acquired by the Folonari family, this brought in a higher production level without trading in any traditions, currently, the winery produces over 300,000 bottles of wine each year.

I had the pleasure of visiting Borgo Conventi a few years back, the estate is a mixture of money and comfort, keeping its nostalgic history while incorporating new and modern sets. We traveled up into their vineyards where we enjoyed a bottle of their Sparkling Wine. Currently, my opinion stands that the best way to enjoy a bottle of Sparkling Wine is in the vineyard that grew the grapes and with the people who produced it, the wine itself won’t taste any better, but you’ll be so high on the moment that your mind will make it taste like the angels have blessed you with this Glass of Bubbly.

Borgo Conventi – Ribolla Gialla Spumante VSQ Brut Millesimato 2019

Aroma 👃 “Lovely floral aromas and blossom, with prominent yellow floral, and nice citrus and hints of oily green fruits on the aroma.”

Flavour 👅 “Very slick citrus with floral notes, smooth and delightful flavours.”

This Italian Sparkling Wine Won a Gold Medal in the Summer Days Category at the Glass of Bubbly Awards 2021

Chicken Kiev and Sparkling Wine Pairing

Pairing Notes – “A perfect pairing, combing garlic with Sparkling Wine isn’t easy, but this delicately made butchers Chicken Kiev has the perfect amount. The Sparkling Wine adds delicious calming and smoothing citrus and springtime floral notes into the savoury meaty flavours with subtle garlic. The dish and Sparkling Wine flow with each other equally, not compromising flavours from either.”

Information Credit: Wikipedia – Love Food