Coxinha

Method

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1. Poach the chicken in the stock for 20 minutes, then lift it out and shred finely. Keep 700 ml of the stock.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

2. Cook the onion in the olive oil for 8 minutes, add the garlic for 1 minute, then the tomatoes and cook 8 minutes to a thick sofrito.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

3. Stir in the shredded chicken, parsley and salt, then take off the heat and fold through the cream cheese. Cool completely.

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4. For the dough, bring the 700 ml stock and the butter to a boil in a wide pan with the salt.

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5. Tip in all the flour at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon. It will come together into a ball within a minute.

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6. Keep cooking and beating for 4 minutes over low heat, until the dough is smooth and pulls cleanly from the pan.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

7. Turn out onto a worktop and knead it while warm, for 3 minutes, until completely smooth. Work in batches if it is too hot to handle.

   Mark done Start 3 min timer

8. Take a golf ball of dough, flatten it into a disc in your palm, put a spoonful of cold filling in the middle and close the dough around it.

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9. Roll it into a ball, then pinch and pull one end into a point so it looks like a teardrop.

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10. Roll each in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs, and chill 30 minutes.

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11. Fry at 180C, six at a time, for 3 to 4 minutes until deep golden. Drain on a rack and eat warm.

    Mark done Start 3 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Shape the dough while it is warm. Cold dough cracks.
• Cold filling in warm dough, never the other way round.
• Chill the crumbed coxinhas before frying so they hold their shape.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• A cold Brazilian lager
• Hot sauce
• A caipirinha

Storage & Reheating

Freeze crumbed and uncooked for 2 months; fry from frozen at 170C for 6 minutes.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.