Coxinha, Brazilian food

 

Here is an updated on my previously published coxinha recipe for this famous and delectable Brazilian bar/street/party food. Coxinhas are a very popular snack or appetisers in Brazil.  They are served in majority of bars and cafes to accompany drinks or as a quick snack. Or simply as a savoury treat, food on the go or street food.
At parties they are presented in bite sizes as canapes. Home-made coxinhas are the best. There are a few variations on the recipe, specially the dough. Some people make with wheat or rice flour others with potatoes.  Other variations include maise in  Minas Gerais and countryside where maise is deemed a traditional ingredient of the countryside and the state of Minas Gerais. There are some unusual variations of the filling such as heart of palm as a vegetarian version. I keep it very simple and light. Using chicken stock and flour and a very well seasoned filling. They are presented in chicken drumstick shape (or something similar). They are a bit fiddly to assemble to start with but practise makes perfect!
According to wikipedia  the history of coxinha:’in the book Stories & Recipes, Nadir Cavazin says thаt the son оf Princess Isabel оf Brazil аnd the Count D’Eu, а child whо lived іn seclusion fоr having mental problems hаd а favourite dish, chicken, but оnly ate the thigh. Оne day, nоt having enough thigh, the cook decided tо turn а whole chicken іntо thighs, shredding іt аnd making the filling fоr а flour dough shaped іntо а drumstick. The child endorsed the results аnd Empress Teresa Cristina when she wаs visiting him, cоuld nоt resist the tasty delicacy, she liked іt sо much she requested thаt the master оf the imperial kitchen learn hоw tо prepare the snack. Sо coxinha won the nobility аnd became history.’
Coxinha, brazlian snack

Coxinha

Coxinha recipe

Ingredients:
  • 750gr chicken breasts (about 4 halves)
  • 1250ml of chicken broth
  • 1  whole carrot
  • 1 finely diced red pepper
  • 2 medium onions, one whole peeled and halved and the other finely chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • handful of parsley finely chopped
  • spring onion, finely chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 375 gr of flour
  • 2  large eggs
  • 300gr of breadcrumbs
  • 1l vegetable oil for deep frying
  • salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1) Place the chicken breasts in a large pot. Cover them with the chicken broth, adding water if necessary to make sure the chicken breasts are completely covered.
2) Add the carrot and one of the onions (peeled and halved) as well as the bay leaves.
3) Bring liquid to a gentle simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through.
4) Set chicken aside to cool, and strain the broth. Reserve the broth.
5) Shred the chicken into very small pieces using your fingers.
6) Add the finely chopped onion, the garlic and the red pepper to a pan
7) Sauté them in 2 tablespoons of butter until golden and soft.
8) Add the hot onion  and garlic to the chicken mixture and stir until everything is well mixed. Stir lime juice into the shredded chicken.
9) Measure the chicken broth (you will probably have about 3 cups : 750ml). If you have less than three cups, add more canned chicken broth to make 3 cups ; 750ml. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan, lower the heat and and gradually stir in the same amount of flour as you have broth (so if you have 3 cups broth , add 3 cups flour).
10) Stir vigorously and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mixture will become a stiff dough.
11)Remove from heat and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. It will make quite a few bite size coxinhas or about 20 medium size ones (about 8cm tall).
12) To shape the coxinhas, take a piece of the dough about the size of a golf ball with oiled hands. Roll it into a ball, then hollow out the middle for the filling.
13) Press a golf ball size (about 1 1/2 tablespoons) piece of the chicken filling inside the ball of dough, and press the dough closed around the filling. Shape into an approximate drumstick shape, flouring hands as necessary. Stand the coxinhas on a plate, so that the pointed end sticks upwards. Continue until you run out of dough or filling.
14) Whisk the eggs together in a bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in a separate plate and season with salt and pepper.
15) Dip the coxinhas in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs to coat. Chill the breaded coxinhas for 1 hour.
16) Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with enough oil to cover the coxinhas. Fry the coxinhas in batches until deep golden brown.
17) Serve them warm.
You will love it too.

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