Coxinha

A little while ago, a friend of mine asked (begged) me to make coxinha. What are coxinha you ask? Well, they are fried chicken pastries in the shape of little drumsticks (clearly mine don't look like drumsticks..I'm a novice!). This local restaurant make some of the best coxinha I have ever tried. Actually, I think they are the only coxinha I have ever tried. The ingredient list for these is simple enough, but the process can take quite a while. I definitely do not suggest making these after you have had several cocktails and nothing to eat all day except candy and popcorn like I did yesterday! Raul let me borrow his little deep fryer which made these much easier to make. Although I read the recipe completely through a few times, I still ran into some snags. The boiling of chicken and chopping is very straightforward. However, when it comes time to make the dough, that's when things get strange. I ended up just reheating the stock and chicken and stirring in the flour to make a dough. That's what I did when I made zeppole last year so I thought it would work with this. However, I found the dough to be extremely sticky and difficult to work with so I added much more flour to the mix. Also, in re-reading the recipe, I realized I forgot the egg whites. Even though I halved everything else, I ended up using much closer to the three cups of flour called for in the original recipe. Even with the halved recipe, I had about eighteen of these little balls. They are very filling so I suggest you make them for a party instead of your Saturday late night dinner. One last note. The chicken filling makes more than you will need for the recipe. I am saving mine to use in taquitos or quesadillas or something, so stay tuned!


Oh, I had the opportunity to go to a screening of the insanely amazing movie Milk the other day. if you haven't already seen it, I strongly suggest you get out to your local movie theater and catch this wonderful, inspiring film straight away!

Coxinha
(Adapted from Recipe Zaar)

1 1/2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons butter
1 chicken bullion cube
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 -2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 oz cream cheese, cubed
Breadcrumbs

Cut chicken breasts into 2-inch cubes, and place in a saucepan with onion, garlic, butter, stock cube, salt and pepper and 1 1/2 cups of water. Cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Strain the solids from the broth, retaining the broth and the solids. Finely chop the chicken to make the filling. Add the parsely and green onion to the chicken.

Measure the remaining broth into a saucepan. You will need 1 1/2 xups so make it up with extra water. Add the chicken mixture to the pan and stir to combine. Add all the flour and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for one minute until the dough becomes stiff. Remove the dough from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Turn the dough out to a floured board and knead until the dough is smooth, adding more flour if the mixture is too sticky. Using your hands or a tablespoon, break the dough into pieces. Pat flat, and place a piece of cream cheese in the center of the dough. Fold the dough up around the cheese and roll in the breadcrumsb.

Deep fry for 8 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown. Drain on towels and sprinkle with kosher salt. Serve warm.