Stuffed Chicken Thighs

When I first attempted to cook, I remember perusing my very first cookbook --- Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy --- wondering, "what on earth should I make for dinner tonight?"

This is one of my favorite meals to cook. Its a bit complex in the sense that there are many steps, but I promise it is worth it! This is originally a Gordon Ramsay recipe and it was the first thing I EVER cooked in my entire life. Thus, my love for these stuffed chicken thighs is partially nostalgic. The original recipe calls for ground pork, but I use ground turkey, so be a bit healthier. Similarly, the original recipe calls for bacon, but I sometimes use prosciutto.

Ingredients: 

- 2 packages chicken thighs (skinless and boneless) 

- 1 package ground turkey

- handful of fresh thyme

- 2 packages bacon or prosciutto

- 1 egg

- 1 cup shelled pistachio nuts,

- salt, pepper, and other seasonings to taste 

Directions:

1. Crush the pistachio nuts

2. Mix the nuts in with the ground turkey. Mix well. Add seasonings and thyme. 

3. Mix in the egg

5. Prepare the chicken thighs. I accidentally bought bone-in, so I had to de-bone them. 

6. Prepare the stuffed chicken. Lay out three pieces of bacon and make sure they overlap slightly. Then, place one of the chicken thighs, inside up and put a dollop of ground turkey in the chicken thigh. 

7. Roll the chicken thigh up in the bacon. Wrap tightly. Next, wrap the bacon wrapped chicken thigh in aluminum foil. 

8. In boiling water, poach the chicken thighs for about 30 ~ 45 min. 

9. Remove the chicken from the water and set aside to cool. You can also put them in the fridge to help them cool down. Once cooled, unwrap the chicken and let it rest. This whole process is to help maintain the shape of the bacon around the chicken. 

10. Once you are ready, heat up some olive oil in a pan and brown the bacon. 

11. Voila! All done. Let the chicken rest for a few moments. Then you can either slice up the chickens like I did here or serve each one whole.