Easy Chicken Pockets Stuffed with Shrimp

To prepare the chicken pockets stuffed with shrimp, first begin with the preparation of the shrimp broth. Take the shrimp and wash them under abundant water, remove their shells, tails, legs, and heads 1. Then, proceed to remove their intestines using a toothpick (you can consult the cooking school: How to clean shrimp). Place the cleaned shrimp in a bowl covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator and keep the shells. Then, take the shallot, clean it, and slice it thinly. In a saucepan, melt the butter 2, then add the shallot 3

and the garlic clove 4. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring occasionally, then add the shrimp heads and shells 5. Deglaze with the white wine 6 and let it evaporate, cooking over low heat.

After that, add water to completely cover the shrimp shells and heads 7. Add the parsley, whole peppercorns 8, and adjust the salt (be cautious not to over-salt, as the preparation is already quite flavorful). Lower the heat and let it simmer gently for at least 60 minutes, covering with a lid: during cooking, remember to skim the broth occasionally using a slotted spoon, ensuring to rinse it each time to remove any foam residue. After about 60 minutes, the broth will have reduced by about half compared to the initial liquid; strain it using a fine-mesh sieve, trying to extract as much liquid as possible. Finally, remove the shells, shallot, and garlic. Set the broth aside and proceed with the preparation of the vegetable cream, starting with the How to make the soffritto. Finely chop the vegetables 9.

In a non-stick pan, pour the oil and add the chopped carrots 10, shallot, celery 11, and garlic 12.

Then add the thyme 13 and let all the ingredients brown for about 6-7 minutes. When they are well-browned, add the chopped shrimp (set aside about 80 grams) 14 and cook for a few minutes; add about 50-60 grams of the fish broth you prepared 15.

Adjust the salt and pepper and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer the vegetables to a tall-sided bowl, blending with an immersion blender until a creamy and homogeneous mixture is obtained 16. Set the mixture aside. Now take another bowl and add the bread crumbs, chop it and add the crushed garlic 17, the finely chopped parsley 18

and the nutmeg 19. At this point, dilute the saffron in a small bowl using the fish broth 20 and add everything to the bread 21. Mix all the ingredients well with a wooden spoon and

add another 30 grams of broth 22; adjust the salt and pepper. Then add the remaining raw shrimp cut into small pieces 23 and mix well: this mixture will be the filling for your chicken pockets. Now proceed with the preparation of the chicken breasts: cut the chicken breast along the natural horizontal line running through the center without cutting it completely, thus obtaining a pocket 34.

Fill the breasts with the filling you have obtained without blending 25 and seal your pockets with long toothpicks so that the internal mixture does not spill out 26. Then take a pan and pour in some oil. Place the chicken pockets in it and let them brown on both sides 27.

Deglaze with the white wine, allowing the wine to evaporate completely 28. Pour the vegetable cream you prepared earlier over the shrimp-stuffed chicken pockets 29 and cover with a lid, letting it cook for 10 minutes over low heat. After this time, your shrimp-stuffed chicken pockets will be ready to be served and enjoyed 30!