Cuisine: The Polish Palate
•
Course: Main Courses
•
Diet: High-Protein, Comfort Food

Kotlet De Volaille (Polish Stuffed Chicken Breast)

A crispy, golden-crumbed chicken parcel hiding a molten core of garlic and herb butter.
Prep time 25m
Temp 170°C (338°F)
Marinate 30m
Cook time 20m
Rest time 5m
Total 1h 20m
Yield 4
Per serving:
670 kcal
25g Carbs
49g Protein
41g Fat
By Adam Dworak

Brilliant!

You cooked this today. How did it turn out?

Maybe Later

Ingredients

Success!

Ingredients added to your shopping list.

View Shopping List Continue Browsing

Kitchen Kit

  • Meat Mallet
  • Cling Film
  • Shallow Bowl
  • Heavy-bottomed pan
  • Baking paper
Person preparing chicken with green filling on a wooden cutting board. | Cook & Keeper - Kotlet De Volaille Polish Stuffed Chicken Breast

Method

  1. Prepare the compound butter. Finely chop the fresh parsley and crush the garlic. Bash the butter in a bowl until soft, then fold in the herbs, garlic, a squeeze of the lemon, and 2g of the salt. Roll the mixture into 4 tight, small logs using cling film. Chuck them into the freezer for at least 20 minutes until rock solid.
  2. Flatten the meat. Place the chicken breasts one by one between two sheets of parchment paper. Bash them out gently using a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even 5mm thickness. Do not tear the flesh, or your butter will escape later. Season both sides of the flattened meat with 4g of the salt and all of the black pepper.
  3. Form the parcels. Place a frozen butter log in the centre of each flattened breast. Fold the short ends in first to trap the butter, then roll the long side over tightly into a sealed torpedo shape. Wrap each parcel tightly in cling film, twisting the ends like a sweet wrapper, and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the shape.
  4. Set up the breading station. Line up three wide, shallow bowls. Tip the plain flour into the first. Crack the whole eggs into the second and whisk them thoroughly until completely uniform. Tip the breadcrumbs into the third. Stir the final 2g of salt into the flour to ensure the crust is seasoned.
  5. Coat the chicken. Unwrap the chilled parcels. Dredge each one in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Dunk it into the beaten egg, letting the excess drip off, then roll it firmly in the breadcrumbs until completely coated. To guarantee a leak-proof seal, dip the very ends of the torpedo back into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs a second time.
  6. The fry. Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy-based pan and place it over medium-high heat. Let it come up to 170°C (this will take about 10 minutes; test with a pinch of breadcrumbs, which should sizzle instantly). Carefully lower the breaded chicken into the hot oil. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until deep golden brown all over and cooked through.
  7. Lift the cooked chicken out of the oil and drain on a wire rack or kitchen paper. Let them rest for exactly 5 minutes before serving—this allows the meat to relax and stops the molten butter from violently exploding out on the very first cut.
Chef's Note & Storage
Fridge 2 days. Reheat in an oven at 180°C until crisp; do not microwave unless you want rubbery chicken and lost butter.
00:00
Breaded chicken roll with green sauce on a plate, cut open to reveal filling. | Cook & Keeper - Kotlet De Volaille Polish Stuffed Chicken Breast

The Aristocrat of the Sunday Table

Though it masquerades under a French-sounding name, Kotlet De Volaille—or "Dewolaje" as it’s affectionately known—is a titan of Polish weekend cooking. Its origins trace back to 19th-century Eastern European courts, borrowing heavily from French culinary techniques to impress the aristocracy. Today, it’s the ultimate comfort food: a golden, crisp torpedo of tender chicken that, when pierced, floods your plate with a molten tide of garlic and herb butter. Achieving that perfect structural integrity requires a little patience, but the payoff is absolute luxury on a plate.

CHEF'S SECRET: The structural integrity of a Dewolaje relies entirely on temperature control. Your butter must be rock solid before it hits the meat, and the sealed chicken parcels should rest in the fridge to firm up before hitting the breadcrumbs. Double-dip the ends of the parcel in egg and crumb to create a blast-proof seal.

❖

The Anatomy of the Crunch

The crucial stage here is bashing the meat. You are aiming for an even 5mm thickness without tearing the flesh. If you puncture the chicken, the butter will leak into the frying oil, leaving you with dry meat and an angry, spitting pan. Treat the breast gently, coaxing it outward with a rolling pin or meat mallet between sheets of parchment paper. The breading is equally important: a standard three-stage pane (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) forms a crust that sets instantly in hot oil, acting as the ultimate barrier.

Back to Cookbook
The Cook & Keeper Pairing System

Complete the Meal

A perfectly balanced plate is an art. These hand-selected pairings are designed to elevate your dish and celebrate every ingredient.

Essential Pairings

The companions that define the meal. Choose the foundational elements that best complement your main dish.

Tłuczone Ziemniaki z Koperkiem i Masłem (Traditional Polish Dill Mashed Potatoes)

Tłuczone Ziemniaki z Koperkiem i Masłem (Traditional Polish Dill Mashed Potatoes)

Bright Accents

The key to palate balance. Elements that introduce texture, acidity, and vital freshness to the plate.

Surówka z Pora i Marchewki (Traditional Polish Leek & Carrot Salad)

Surówka z Pora i Marchewki (Traditional Polish Leek & Carrot Salad)
Surówka z Kiszonej Kapusty (Sauerkraut Slaw)

Surówka z Kiszonej Kapusty (Sauerkraut Slaw)
Mizeria

Mizeria

Elevating Finishes

The culinary final touch. Condiments, textural accents, and paired beverages that seamlessly turn a dish into a complete dining experience.

Fresh Polish Sunday Kompot

Fresh Polish Sunday Kompot
Back to Cookbook

Cook’s Notes & Discussion

Be the first to leave a note on this recipe.

Leave a note or ask a question

Kotlet De Volaille (Polish Stuffed Chicken Breast) - Cook & Keeper
Cuisine:The Polish Palate
Course:Main Courses
Diet:High-Protein, Comfort Food

Kotlet De Volaille (Polish Stuffed Chicken Breast)

By Adam Dworak

A crispy, golden-crumbed chicken parcel hiding a molten core of garlic and herb butter.

Prep 25m
Temp 170°C
Marinate 30m
Cook 20m
Rest 5m
Total 1h 20m
Yield 4
Person preparing chicken with green filling on a wooden cutting board. | Cook & Keeper - Kotlet De Volaille Polish Stuffed Chicken Breast

Kitchen Kit

  • •Meat Mallet
  • •Cling Film
  • •Shallow Bowl
  • •Heavy-bottomed pan
  • •Baking paper
Per serving:
670 kcal
25g Carbs
49g Protein
41g Fat

Ingredients

  • 900 g Chicken Breasts
  • 100 g Unsalted Butter
  • 15 g Flat-leaf Parsley
  • 3 pcs Garlic cloves
  • 50 g Lemon
  • 100 g Plain Flour
  • 2 pcs Eggs
  • 150 g Fine Breadcrumbs
  • 8 g Salt
  • 2 g Black Pepper
  • 500 ml Rapeseed Oil

Method

Step-by-step instructions.

Chef's Note:
Fridge 2 days. Reheat in an oven at 180°C until crisp; do not microwave unless you want rubbery chicken and lost butter.
Breaded chicken roll with green sauce on a plate, cut open to reveal filling. | Cook & Keeper - Kotlet De Volaille Polish Stuffed Chicken Breast
  1. Prepare the compound butter. Finely chop the fresh parsley and crush the garlic. Bash the butter in a bowl until soft, then fold in the herbs, garlic, a squeeze of the lemon, and 2g of the salt. Roll the mixture into 4 tight, small logs using cling film. Chuck them into the freezer for at least 20 minutes until rock solid.
  2. Flatten the meat. Place the chicken breasts one by one between two sheets of parchment paper. Bash them out gently using a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even 5mm thickness. Do not tear the flesh, or your butter will escape later. Season both sides of the flattened meat with 4g of the salt and all of the black pepper.
  3. Form the parcels. Place a frozen butter log in the centre of each flattened breast. Fold the short ends in first to trap the butter, then roll the long side over tightly into a sealed torpedo shape. Wrap each parcel tightly in cling film, twisting the ends like a sweet wrapper, and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the shape.
  4. Set up the breading station. Line up three wide, shallow bowls. Tip the plain flour into the first. Crack the whole eggs into the second and whisk them thoroughly until completely uniform. Tip the breadcrumbs into the third. Stir the final 2g of salt into the flour to ensure the crust is seasoned.
  5. Coat the chicken. Unwrap the chilled parcels. Dredge each one in the seasoned flour, shaking off the excess. Dunk it into the beaten egg, letting the excess drip off, then roll it firmly in the breadcrumbs until completely coated. To guarantee a leak-proof seal, dip the very ends of the torpedo back into the egg and then into the breadcrumbs a second time.
  6. The fry. Pour the frying oil into a deep, heavy-based pan and place it over medium-high heat. Let it come up to 170°C (this will take about 10 minutes; test with a pinch of breadcrumbs, which should sizzle instantly). Carefully lower the breaded chicken into the hot oil. Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally with tongs, until deep golden brown all over and cooked through.
  7. Lift the cooked chicken out of the oil and drain on a wire rack or kitchen paper. Let them rest for exactly 5 minutes before serving—this allows the meat to relax and stops the molten butter from violently exploding out on the very first cut.

My Tweaks & Notes

DIGITAL PANTRY

Scan to view the high-res gallery & chef's tips.

Recipe QR

History

The Aristocrat of the Sunday Table

Though it masquerades under a French-sounding name, Kotlet De Volaille—or "Dewolaje" as it’s affectionately known—is a titan of Polish weekend cooking. Its origins trace back to 19th-century Eastern European courts, borrowing heavily from French culinary techniques to impress the aristocracy. Today, it’s the ultimate comfort food: a golden, crisp torpedo of tender chicken that, when pierced, floods your plate with a molten tide of garlic and herb butter. Achieving that perfect structural integrity requires a little patience, but the payoff is absolute luxury on a plate.

CHEF'S SECRET: The structural integrity of a Dewolaje relies entirely on temperature control. Your butter must be rock solid before it hits the meat, and the sealed chicken parcels should rest in the fridge to firm up before hitting the breadcrumbs. Double-dip the ends of the parcel in egg and crumb to create a blast-proof seal.

❖

The Anatomy of the Crunch

The crucial stage here is bashing the meat. You are aiming for an even 5mm thickness without tearing the flesh. If you puncture the chicken, the butter will leak into the frying oil, leaving you with dry meat and an angry, spitting pan. Treat the breast gently, coaxing it outward with a rolling pin or meat mallet between sheets of parchment paper. The breading is equally important: a standard three-stage pane (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) forms a crust that sets instantly in hot oil, acting as the ultimate barrier.