Brazilian Coxhinas
- Cooking Time50 mins
- Serves18
- DifficultyMedium
For the Pastry
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. In a medium bowl, mix the chicken thighs with the paprika, garlic powder, and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a roasting tin, cover with foil and roast for 45 minutes.
2. Allow to cool a little, remove and discard the skins, then remove the meat from the bone and place in a medium bowl. Mix in the cream cheese and season if needed.
3. For the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and season. In a saucepan bring the stock and butter to the boil, add the flour and stir till a dough forms. Cool completely, then chill. Once chilled, divide the dough into 18 pieces.
4. To shape the coxinhas, wet your hands a little, take a golf ball-sized piece of dough and roll into a smooth ball. Use your thumb to hollow out the centre then add a tablespoonful of the chicken filling. Press the dough closed around the filling, then pinch and roll the top to make a chicken drumstick shape, making sure your hands are wet throughout.
5. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Toss each assembled coxinha in flour, then dip in egg, then coat in breadcrumbs and lay on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper.
6. Heat the oil for deep frying to 180°C. Fry the coxinhas in batches for 5 to 6 minutes until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper. Season with sea salt whilst still warm and serve with hot pepper sauce.
Recipe courtesy of Kenwood's Around the World in 80 Plates