Ingredients
For the chicken and broth
• 700 g skinless chicken breast, with bone
• 1.2 liters of water
• 1/2 medium onion, in large pieces
• 1 small carrot, in large pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, lightly crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
For the filling
• All cooked and shredded chicken, approximately 450 g
• 1 tablespoon of oil, 15 ml
• 1 medium onion, chopped, about 120 g
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 20 g
• 100 ml of chicken cooking broth
• 1 level tablespoon of wheat flour, 10 g
• 3 tablespoons of chopped parsley, 15 g
• Black pepper to taste
• Salt to taste, if necessary
For the dough
• 600 ml of chicken cooking broth, strained
• 300 g of wheat flour
• 45 g unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 3 g, or less if the broth is well seasoned
For breading and frying
• 2 eggs
• 80 ml of water
• 250 g of fine breadcrumbs
• Enough vegetable oil for deep frying, about 1.5 liters, depending on the pan
Preparation method
1. Cook the chicken and make the broth
Place the chicken breast, water, onion, carrot, garlic, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of salt in a pan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium-low heat and cook with the pan partially covered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the center of the thickest part of the chicken reaches at least 74°C. Remove the chicken, wait for it to cool and shred. Strain the broth and discard the aromatics. Measure 700 ml of broth: if there is less, top up with hot water; If there is more, reserve the excess for another preparation. Set aside 600 ml for the dough and 100 ml for the filling.
2. Prepare a moist filling, but without loose liquid
Heat the oil in a medium pan and sauté the onion for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for another 1 minute. Add the shredded chicken and 100 ml of broth. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the liquid is almost gone and the chicken remains moist. Sprinkle in the 10 g of wheat flour, mix well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the filling comes together and there is no juice left at the bottom of the pan. Turn off, mix the parsley and pepper and adjust the salt. Spread on a plate and let cool completely.
3. Cook the pasta in the broth
In a thick-bottomed pan, heat the 600 ml of broth, butter and salt over medium-high heat. When it boils and the butter has melted, turn down to medium heat and add the 300 g of flour all at once. Stir vigorously with a firm spoon or spatula for 4 to 6 minutes. The dough should be uniform, without spots of dry flour, come away from the sides and form a thin, dry film at the bottom of the pan. Transfer to a clean counter or baking sheet and spread out to lose heat for about 15 minutes.
4. Work the dough while it is still warm
When it is warm enough to handle, knead for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth, flexible and free of cracks. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean, slightly damp cloth while styling to prevent the surface from drying out.
5. Standardize dough and filling
Divide the dough into 20 portions of approximately 45 g. Divide the filling into 20 portions of approximately 23 g. This proportion leaves each drumstick weighing approximately 68 g before breading and helps maintain similar thickness and frying time between units.
6. Model without leaving air pockets
Make a ball with a portion of dough. Press the center with your thumb and rotate in your hands until a cavity is formed with walls measuring about 4 to 5 mm. Place a portion of cold filling in the center without going over the edge. Bring the edges together, remove excess air, close completely and pull the seam to form the tip. Roll gently between your hands to make the surface smooth and the base stable. If the seam cracks, smooth it out with your fingers before breading.
7. Bread evenly
Mix the eggs with the water just until smooth, without creating too much foam. Dip each drumstick in this mixture, let the excess drip off and cover with breadcrumbs, pressing lightly to adhere. Place on a baking tray without touching each other and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes while the oil heats up.
8. Fry at controlled temperature
Heat the oil in a deep pan to 170 to 175 ºC. Fry 3 or 4 drumsticks at a time for about 3 to 4 minutes, turning when necessary, until they are evenly golden. Avoid placing too many units at once to avoid a sudden drop in temperature.
Remove with slotted spoon and let drain on a rack placed over a baking tray for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot.
Right spot / how to know it’s ready
The dough is done when it is smooth and cohesive, comes away from the sides of the pan and leaves a thin film on the bottom. Once warm and worked, it should bend without cracking and should not stick to your hands. The stuffing is done when it is moist, but there is no juice accumulated at the bottom of the pan. When pressing a portion with a spoon, it should maintain its shape without running. When modeling, the dough wall should be approximately 4 to 5 mm, with the seam completely closed and without air pockets. After frying, the coxinha should have a uniform golden color, a firm and crispy crust and a hot interior.
Tips for the recipe to work out
Weigh the units
Using around 45 g of dough and 23 g of filling per drumstick reduces differences in thickness. Very large or irregular units require different frying times and tend to brown unevenly.
Cool the filling before shaping
Hot filling releases steam, softens the dough and increases the chance of the seam opening during frying. Spreading the filling on a plate speeds up cooling.
Do not let the dough dry out
Keep the dough covered while working. A dry film on the surface encourages cracking when closing the tip and may open in the oil.
Control the oil temperature
Between 170 and 175 ºC, the coating browns while the inside heats up. Very cold oil makes the cone more oily; Too hot and it darkens quickly and increases the risk of the surface opening before the center heats up properly.
Fry in small batches
Each drumstick reduces the temperature of the oil. Adding a few units at a time helps maintain the frying interval and prevents the drumsticks from touching and damaging the breading.
Substitutions and variations
Boneless chicken breast can be substituted for bone-in breast: use about 550 g. The broth will be a little less thick, so keep the aromatics and top up the measured volume with water only after cooking. Skinless, boneless thighs can replace the breast in equivalent weight of cooked meat. The filling is juicier and has a more intense flavor; remove excess fat before shredding. Culinary margarine with a similar fat content can replace butter in the same amount, but it changes the flavor and can make the dough slightly softer.
Panko flour can replace breadcrumbs. The crust becomes thicker and crispier, but less uniform and less close to the classic finish.
How to store
After frying and without intense steam, refrigerate the drumsticks in a closed container for up to 2 hours. Keep at 5ºC or below and consume within 3 days. To serve again, heat until the center reaches 74°C. To freeze, prefer the drumsticks that have already been shaped and breaded, before frying. Freeze first on a baking sheet until firm and then transfer to its own packaging, removing as much air as possible. For best quality, use within 2 months. Fry frozen drumsticks without defrosting at room temperature. Use oil at 160 to 165 ºC, in small batches, and fry for about 6 to 8 minutes, until golden and the center reaches 74 ºC. Remove loose ice crystals before placing in oil to reduce spattering.
How to serve / side dishes
Serve the drumsticks while they are still hot, when the crust is crispier. Chili sauce, spicy tomato sauce, or lemon on the side work well without moistening the breading ahead of time.
Common mistakes
Why does the drumstick open during frying?
The most common causes are a poorly closed seam, air pockets around the filling, too hot or moist filling and excessively hot oil. Seal the dough without air, let the filling cool and keep frying within the indicated range.
Why does the dough crack when modeling?
The dough may have lost too much water in the pan or dried out while cooling. Cook just until you get a thin film on the bottom and keep the dough covered while shaping.
Why is the drumstick oily?
Usually the oil is cold or the pan has received too many units at once. Wait for the temperature to return to the range of 170 to 175 ºC between batches.
Why does the filling leak?
Excess filling, filling with free liquid or very thin wall puts pressure on the seam. Weigh the portions, cook the filling until combined and leave approximately 4 to 5 mm of dough around the center.
