Chicken Kiev with Bacon and Asparagus

Chicken Kiev with Bacon and Asparagus

Ingredients:
8 strips bacon
12 tips of asparagus, (top 2 inches only)
4 large skinless boneless breasts of chicken, tendons removed
2 egg
2 cup breadcrumbs, (coarse if possible)
1 cup flour
5 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Directions:
Chicken Kiev with Bacon and Asparagus
In a frying pan, cook bacon until almost crispy.
Steam asparagus tips for three minutes.
Using a mallet, or other blunt instrument (the kind you keep beside your bed to ward off mad burglars), flatten chicken breasts by placing them, one at a time, between 2 sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap, and pound to 1/4" thickness.
Pre-heat oven to 350°F.
In three separate bowls place: (bowl #1) flour, (bowl #2) eggs (beaten) and (bowl #3) bread crumbs. Line the three bowls in a row.
Complete the following procedure for each portion.
Take one flattened chicken breast, season with salt and pepper. Lay two strips of bacon side by side, on the top side of the chicken breast. Place three asparagus tips crosswise at one end and top with 1 tablespoon butter.
Starting at the end with the asparagus, roll up chicken like a carpet around the bacon, butter and asparagus, and tuck in the loose ends underneath.
Dip rolled chicken in the flour, then the egg, and then the bread crumbs, covering thoroughly at each step. Place in a shallow pan with the seam on the bottom. Place 1/4 tablespoon butter on top of each piece of chicken. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until cooked throughout. Towards the end, baste with pan drippings.