Coxinha (Coxinha) — Brazilian Chicken Croquettes

• 600 gboneless skinless chicken breast
• 1.2 lwater
• 1large yellow onion (halved for cooking)
• 2 clovegarlic (crushed for cooking)
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 2 tspfine sea salt (divided)
• 1 tbspolive oil
• 1 tbsptomato paste
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 12 sprigflat-leaf parsley (leaves finely chopped)
• 120 gCatupiry-style Brazilian requeijao cremoso
• 720 mlreserved chicken cooking broth (strained from cooking the chicken)
• 240 mlwhole milk
• 60 gunsalted butter
• 0.5 tspannatto powder (for traditional golden color)
• 500 gall-purpose flour
• 2eggs
• 250 gfine dry breadcrumbs
• 1.5 lneutral vegetable oil (for deep-frying; nutrition assumes about 180 ml absorbed)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the chicken breast, water, halved onion, crushed garlic, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 18 to 22 minutes, until the chicken reaches 74°C in the thickest part.

2. 2

   Transfer the chicken to a plate and strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve. Measure 720 ml of the broth for the dough, adding water only if needed to reach that exact amount, and let the chicken cool for 10 minutes before shredding it finely.

3. 3

   Heat the olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and cook the diced onion for 6 minutes, stirring often, until soft and translucent. Add the minced garlic, tomato paste, paprika, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, then cook for 2 minutes to remove the raw edge of the tomato paste.

4. 4

   Add the shredded chicken to the skillet and stir until every strand is coated with the seasoned onion mixture. Fold in the chopped parsley and Catupiry-style requeijao, then cook for 1 minute more so the filling is moist but not wet; transfer it to a tray and cool completely.

5. 5

   For the dough, combine the reserved chicken broth, milk, butter, annatto powder, and 0.75 teaspoon salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring the liquid to a full simmer, then add all the flour at once and stir vigorously with a sturdy wooden spoon until a firm dough pulls cleanly from the sides of the pan.

6. 6

   Cook the dough over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning and pressing it constantly so the flour hydrates and loses any raw taste. Turn it onto a lightly oiled work surface, let it cool for 8 minutes, and knead it while warm for 2 minutes until smooth and elastic.

7. 7

   Divide the dough into 20 equal portions of about 75 g each and keep them covered with a clean towel so they do not dry out. Flatten one portion into a cup in your palm, add about 30 g of chicken filling, close the dough around it, and shape it into the classic coxinha teardrop with a rounded base and pointed top.

8. 8

   Whisk the eggs with 60 ml milk in a shallow bowl and place the breadcrumbs in a second shallow bowl. Dip each shaped coxinha in the egg mixture, let the excess drip off, and coat it evenly in breadcrumbs, pressing gently so the crumb layer adheres without cracking the dough.

9. 9

   Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot to 175°C and line a tray with paper towels. Fry the coxinhas in batches of 4 or 5 for 4 to 5 minutes, turning gently, until evenly golden brown and crisp; return the oil to 175°C between batches.

10. 10

    Drain the fried coxinhas on the prepared tray for 2 minutes before serving. Serve them hot while the crust is crisp and the chicken filling is creamy, with Brazilian hot sauce or lime wedges if desired.