I haven't made this in decades. Yes, you can hold it in the oven for a while. I've also used minced fresh tarragon in lieu of chives:
CHICKEN KIEV (serves 6)
1/4 to 1/2 lb butter
1 to 2 TBL chopped chives
Salt
3 whole or 6 halved chicken breasts, skinned & boned
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup flour
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
Oil for deep frying (I didn't deep fry, just skillet fried)

Cream the butter with the chives. If unsalted butter is used, beat in salt to taste. Chill briefly. If the breast pieces are small, use the lesser amounts of butter & chives. If quite large, use the greater amounts.
Place the chicken between sheets of plastic wrap & pound lightly with a flat mallet to make them larger. sprinkle w/salt & pepper.
Put 1 1/2 to 3 TBL of filling in the center of each chicken breast. Fold the edges over to enclose the filling. Place the stuffed chicken breasts briefly in the freezer before breading them.
Beat the eggs with the water in a flat container. Dip the stuffed breasts frist in flour to coat well, then in the egg mixture, coating all over. Finally, roll them in bread crumbs.
Cook in deep fat until golden brown & cooked through, 10 minutes, more or less, depending on the size of the stuffed pieces.~~Craig Claiborne

Thanks, Ginger. I really appreciate having a recipe that I know someone has had success with.

gail

I received a Cooks Illustrated magazine last year that has a "Better Chicken Kiev" recipe. It IS simpler and wonderful
"No Fry-No Leak" method.(BTW I have already typed this once and lost it somehow, so here goes again) The Herb Butter is to die for!
Herb Butter
1 stick unsalted butter softened
1 TBS minced Shallot
1 TBS minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 tea minced fresh tarragon leaves
1 TBS juice from 1 lemon
3/8 tea salt
1/8 tea ground black pepper
Mix together until thoroughly combined. Form into 3 inch square patty..wrap tightly and refrigerate about 1 hour.

Chicken
4-5 slices white sandwich bread (I rarely use white but
always use fresh.
salt and pepper
2 TBS vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless breasts tenderloins removed
1 cup AP flour
3 large eggs, beaten
1 tea dijon mustard

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position; heat to 300 degrees. Process bread to coursely ground crumbs (about 3 1/2 cups) Add salt, pepper and oil to crumbs and mix until evenly coated. Spread on rimmed baking pan and bake until golden brown and dry. About 25 min, stiring twice. Should have 2 1/2 cups.

Prepare Chicken by starting on thinest side of cutlet, slice lengthwise almost in half. Open to create a single flat cutlet. With the cutlet between two pieces of plastic wrap, pound to 1/4 inch thickness. Take your Herb butter and divide it for each cutlet. Place butter in bottom of cutlet, and bring bottom up and sides in like a burrito, and roll it up, sealing edges. Refrigerate uncovered about an hour so the edges seal.

Adjust oven rack to mid position and heat oven to 350. Place flour, eggs and crumbs in seperate plates, season each adding mustard to eggs and beat. Dredge chicken in flour, then coat with egg mix, then press gently into the crumb mix so crumbs adhere to all sides. Place on wire rack over rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with all breasts.

Bake until thermometer reaches 160 degrees...40-45 minutes, resting 5 min before serving.

I have abreviated the directions some....the magazine is very thorough with their directions and I absolutely love it. I have prepared these and frozen them to feed 25 people on a RV trip or just made them ahead for an easy company meal that is baked rather than fried. Hope you have good luck with it.

You're welcome. Hope you like it.

Nanny....that sounds like a fabulous way to do it.
For sure will give that method a try!
Linda C

Oh that does sound much easier! I am going to give this a try too - probably over the weekend. Thanks so much for sharing the info!

Alexa