Prosciutto-wrapped Stuffed Chicken Thighs

Some weeks ago, hubby and I tried out a "new" restaurant.  And I saw bacon-wrapped chicken breasts on the menu. I was intrigued by the picture.  But I was deterred by the humongous layer of fat on the bacon depicted in the picture.  But the idea of chicken wrapped in pork simmered in my mind.  So now I'm trying it out... with prosciutto instead bacon and thighs instead of breasts.  And to make things more interesting, I decided to stuff the thighs with cheese and basil (although the truth is, I just wanted to finish the leftover cheese sticks and fresh basil leaves in the fridge!)

Here's a peek inside...

I started with about 700 grams of bonesless, skinless chicken thighs.  The pack I bought contained about 10 medium-small pieces.  The first thing to do is to trim the thighs (remove excess fat); rinse then drain.  Then pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, cut the cheese sticks into manageable pieces (depending on the size of the chicken thighs) and wrap in a basil leaf.  Use 2 or 3 leaves if the basil leaves are on the small size.  Make enough for all the thighs and set aside for a while.

Place the chicken in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap (or wax paper) and pound until flattened.  Sprinkle a small pinch of fine salt on the meat (but personally, I did not season the chicken anymore because the prosciutto is salty enough and the basil brings a lot of flavor already).  Wrap the mini basil-cheese rolls inside the thighs.

Then wrap the stuffed chicken thighs (carefully!) in prosciutto, making sure that the ends are covered and sealed (otherwise the cheese may "escape").

Shallow fry the chicken pieces about 3 to 5 minutes each side (longer time if the chicken thighs are on the big side).

Enjoy!!!

Yum!