Coxinhas are a very popular snack or appetizers 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 rice flour others with potatoes. 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 some similar). They are a bit fiddly to assemble to start with but practise makes perfect! Lovely way to impress your family and friends.
Coxinha recipe
Ingredients:
- 750gr chicken breasts (about 4 halves)
- 4-5 cups of chicken broth
- 1 small cubes or grated carrot
- diced red pepper
- 2 onions
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic
- handful of parsley
- spring onion
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2-3 cups of flour
- 2 eggs
- 2-3 cups of very finely grated bread crumbs
- Vegetable oil for frying
- Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- Place the chicken breasts in a large shallow pot. Cover them with the chicken broth, adding water if necessary to make sure the chicken breasts are completely covered.
- Add the carrot and one of the onions (peeled and halved) as well as the bay leaves.
- Bring liquid to a gentle simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through.
- Set chicken aside to cool, and strain the broth. Reserve broth.
- Shred the chicken into very small pieces using your fingers.
- Finely chop the second onion, the garlic and the red pepper. Sauté them in 2 tablespoons of butter until golden and soft.
- Add the hot onions and garlic to the chicken mixture and stir until everything is well mixed. Stir lime juice into the shredded chicken.
- Measure the chicken broth (you will probably have about 3 1/2 cups). If you have less than three cups, add more canned chicken broth to make 3 cups. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan, and gradually stir in the same amount of flour as you have broth (so if you have 3 1/2 cups broth, add 3 1/2 cups flour).
the dough - Stir vigorously and cook for 2-3 minutes. Mixture will become a stiff dough. 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).
- 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.
- Press a golfball 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.
- Whisk the eggs together in a bowl. Place the bread crumbs in a separate plate and season with salt and pepper.
- Dip the coxinhas in the egg, then in the breadcrumbs to coat. Chill the breaded coxinhas for 1 hour.
- Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with enough oil to cover the coxinhas. Fry the coxinhas in batches until deep golden brown.
- Serve them warm.
Bom appetite!
Coxinhas -Brazilian snacks – a meal in itself! |
Oh yum! I love love love these!
Hi Su-Lin I love them too! This recipe is very light and tasty using the chicken stock in the dough really makes it special.