Coxinha

Sabeen Fareed

High-Tea Specialty Chef

Coxinha, pronounced as co-shee-nya literally means ‘Little Thigh’, and it refers to chicken drumsticks. Brazilian Coxinha, is a deep-fried croquette made of shredded chicken and cheese covered in a soft dough, which after breaded and deep-fried, gets a beautiful golden crunchy crust that is so hard to resist.
Found in many sizes, from tiny cocktail bites to large street food snacks, it is popular appetizer served at parties, celebrations, and cafes, and is a prominent part of the Brazilian culture.

Serves: 9-10 people / Prep time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 45 minutes

For the Coxinha balls

For the filling

Ingredients
Olive oil	1 tablespoon
Garlic cloves, minced	4
White Onion, diced	1
2 Cups Chicken cooked, shredded	250 g
Paprika, or cayenne pepper	½ teaspoon to taste
Salt	to taste
Cream cheese	110 g
Fresh parsley, chopped	3 tablespoons

For the dough

Ingredients
Unsalted	1 tablespoon
Whole milk	470 ml
Chicken broth	60 ml
All-purpose flour	250 g
Eggs, beaten	1-2 pcs
Panko breadcrumbs	100 g
Oil	for frying

— Method —

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, then sauté garlic and onions until soft and brown. Add shredded chicken, salt, and paprika (or cayenne pepper). Mix to combine.
Transfer mixture into a bowl, add cream cheese and parsley. Mix well.
In the same saucepan, add butter, chicken broth, and milk. Bring to a boil. Stir in flour until dough is formed.
Transfer dough to a flat surface. Knead the dough while it is warm, but not hot.
Pinch a piece of dough, about the size of a large egg, and roll into a ball. Using your hands, flatten the dough and spoon filling into the center. Wrap the dough into a pear shape ensuring there are no holes.
Heat Oil to 180˚C, in a saucepan. Dredge the coxinha in egg and panko, then deep-fry till golden brown and cooked through.
Drain on a towel, or wire rack.
Serve it with chimichurri sauce

For the chimichurri sauce
(Chimichurri, classic Brazilian condiment)

Ingredients
Olive oil	1/2 cup
Red wine vinegar	2 tablespoons
Parsley, finely chopped	1/2 cup
Garlic, finely chopped or mincedcooked, shredded	3-4 cloves
Red birds-eye chili, deseeded and finely chopped	1
Dried oregano	3/4 teaspoon
Coarse salt	1 level teaspoon
Pepper to taste	1/2 tablespoons

— Method —
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes to release all of the flavours into the oil before using. Ideally, let it sit for more than 2 hours, if time allows.
Chimichurri can be prepared earlier than needed, and refrigerated for 24 hours, if needed.

For the Blackcurrant jelly and chimichurri frosting
— Serving suggestion —

Ingredients
Black currant jelly	50 g
Chimichurri sauce	50 g
Cream cheese spread	100 g
Lemon juice	1-2 tbsp
Lemon zest	½ tsp
Cayenne pepper	½ tsp

Season the cream cheese spread with lemon juice, zest, pepper. Pipe 1 tablespoon at the base of a shooter glass. Add a teaspoon of blackcurrant jelly and 1 teaspoon of the chimichurri sauce and top each glass with the coxinha. Garnish with micro-herbs or as desired. J