Brazilian game food - Coxinha de galinha

Literally translated, these are chicken drumsticks and get their name from their peculiar teardrop shape. The golden, crispy exterior surrounds a layer of soft dough filled with seasoned shredded chicken. Although most bar snacks popular in Brazil are the result of colonial influence, the coxinha de galinha is as Brazilian as it gets, with its roots based in Sao Paulo in Brazil. The major secret to this recipe is patience as it takes a while to mould them, especially if you’ve never done it before. Make sure they are well-sealed and that the filling isn’t sticking out or they will crack when fried.

Coxinha de galinha

Ingredients

For the filling

• 1 large chicken breast
• 3 – 4 cups chicken stock
• 50g butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• Parsley
• 1 carrot
• Salt and pepper

For the pastry

• 80g butter
• 150ml milk
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

To assemble

• 2 eggs
• Plain flour
• Breadcrumbs
• Corn oil, for frying

Method

1.Bring the chicken stock to the boil and add the whole chicken breast, half the onion, carrot, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Allow to simmer for 20 mins until the chicken.

2.Remove the breast, allow it cool and shred into small pieces. Reserve 2 cups of the liquid to make the dough.

3.To make the dough, gently fry the remaining onion in butter for 2 mins.

4.Add the milk and as soon as the milk starts to boil add the flour, stirring constantly.

5.Keep stirring until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan.

6.Add the olive oil and allow to cool.

7.To make the filling, heat some oil in a saucepan with a bit of butter. Add the onions and the garlic and fry till golden.

8.Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 mins.

9.Add the shredded chicken and about 50ml chicken stock so that the chicken is moist but not liquidy.

10.Turn off the heat and allow to cool.

11.Take a portion of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll into a disk shape.

12.Place a tsp full of filling in the centre and mould the dough around the filling to form a bundle, making sure the filling doesn’t touch the edges. Smooth the surface to correct any imperfections.

13.Dredge through flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs and fry in hot oil until golden brown. Place on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

14.Serve hot with Tabasco sauce.