Coxinha

Method

1. 1Poach the boneless chicken thighs in the stock at a bare simmer for 20 minutes, then lift them out and keep every drop of the liquid. That broth becomes the dough, and using water instead is the single most common reason a home coxinha tastes flat.
2. 2Shred the cooled chicken finely with two forks. Fry the chopped onion and garlic in a little butter until soft, mix them through the chicken with the parsley, half the requeijão and salt, and chill the filling so it firms up.
3. 3Bring 700 ml of the reserved broth to a rolling boil with the remaining butter and the salt, then tip in all the flour at once and beat hard with a wooden spoon off the heat until no dry flour remains.
4. 4Return the pan to low heat and cook the dough 3 to 5 minutes, pressing and folding, until it comes away from the sides in one ball and leaves a thin film on the base of the pan.
5. 5Turn the hot dough onto a work surface and knead it 5 minutes, working through the heat with oiled hands or a scraper, until it is completely smooth and elastic. Dough kneaded cold stays grainy and cracks when you shape it.
6. 6Flatten 40 g pieces into discs in your palm, add a spoon of filling and a small knob of requeijão, close the dough over it and pinch out a point so it takes the drumstick shape. Press out any air pocket as you seal, since trapped air bursts the shell in the fryer.
7. 7Roll each one in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs, and chill 30 minutes. Fry at 170 to 175 °C for 4 to 5 minutes, five or six at a time, until deep gold, drain on a rack and eat warm.