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1
Poach and Shred the Chicken
25 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Put the chicken in a pot, cover with water, add half the salt and bring to a gentle simmer — never a hard boil. Poach for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through with no pink left and the centre reaches at least 74°C (165°F). Lift the chicken out, strain the stock and measure 500 ml, then shred the warm chicken finely with two forks.
A hard boil makes chicken tough and stringy; a gentle simmer keeps it tender enough to shred.
Done when: The chicken is white all the way through, shreds into fine threads, and the stock smells clean and savoury.
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2
Make the Filling
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 170°C (340°F)
Heat the olive oil in a pan, soften the onion for 4 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato and cook for 2 more minutes. Stir in the shredded chicken, parsley and a pinch of salt, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until the mixture is moist and holds together but no liquid pools in the pan. Spread it on a plate to cool completely.
The filling must be cool and dry-ish — a wet, hot filling melts the dough from the inside.
Done when: The filling is moist, well seasoned and holds together when squeezed.
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3
Make the Dough
10 Mins
Boiling stock, 100°C (212°F)
Bring the 500 ml of stock to a boil with the butter and the rest of the salt. The moment it boils, tip in all the flour at once and stir hard with a wooden spoon for 2–3 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pot and forms a smooth ball. Turn it onto a lightly oiled surface and knead for 2 minutes until smooth, then cover and let it cool until you can handle it.
All the flour goes in at once and the stirring never stops — adding it slowly makes lumps that never come out.
Done when: The dough is smooth, soft and no longer sticky, and holds its shape when pressed.
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4
Shape the Teardrops
20 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Oil your hands lightly. Take a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball, flatten it in your palm into a cup, put a spoonful of filling and a small blob of cream cheese in the centre, then close the dough around it and shape it into a teardrop — round at the bottom, pinched to a point at the top, like a little chicken drumstick. Repeat until you have 12 coxinhas.
Keep your hands lightly oiled, not floured — flour dries the dough and cracks the surface.
Done when: Twelve smooth teardrops with no cracks and no filling showing through.
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5
Crumb and Fry
25 Mins
180°C (350°F)
Heat the oil in a deep pot to 180°C (350°F). Dip each coxinha in beaten egg, then roll in breadcrumbs until evenly coated. Fry 3–4 at a time for 4–5 minutes, turning once, until deep gold and crisp all over. Lift out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. The centre should be hot through at 74°C (165°F).
Fry in small batches — crowding the pot drops the oil temperature and the crumbs soak up oil instead of crisping.
Done when: The coxinhas are deep gold, crisp all over, and hot and creamy in the centre.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Drain the coxinhas on a wire rack for a minute, then pile them on a plate and serve hot, with a spicy pepper sauce and cold drinks on the side.
Brazil
1h 5m
