← Back to the recipe

Ingredients and steps on one page. Print it, or choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog.

Sekai Gohan

Coxinha de Farofa: Lapa's Ribbon-Wrapped Fried Chicken and Cornmeal Teardrops

Coxinha de farofa wrapped in a thin spiral ribbon of dough and fried, with a cut piece showing the chicken farofa inside
Steps with photos

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Role
Boneless, skinless chicken breast (peito de frango) 2.2 lb (1 kg) The filling, shredded fine
Chicken bouillon cubes (caldo de galinha) 2 Seasons the cooking broth
Water 4¼ cups (1 L) Cooks the chicken; 3⅓ cups (800 ml) of the broth goes into the farofa
Lard (banha) 1½ tbsp (1½ colher de sopa) Fat for browning the aromatics; gives the filling its richness
Garlic 2 cloves, crushed Aromatic base
Onion 1, finely chopped Aromatic base and sweetness
Salt and black pepper to taste Final seasoning
Chopped chives and parsley (cheiro-verde: cebolinha and salsinha) 1 cup (1 xícara de chá) Fresh green aroma in the filling
White flaked precooked cornmeal (farinha de milho branca flocada) 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) The body of the farofa
Ready-made pastel dough (massa de pastel) 1 large roll Cut into ribbons for wrapping
Oil for frying as needed Deep-frying

Steps

  1. 1Load the pressure cooker

    Put the chicken breast, the 2 bouillon cubes and 4¼ cups (1 L) water into the pressure cooker. Lock the lid according to the manufacturer's instructions. Set it over high heat. When it comes up to pressure and starts to hiss, move on.

  2. 2Cook the chicken under pressure

    Lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the pressure release fully, following the manufacturer's instructions, before you open the lid. The chicken is ready when it is white all the way through and the thickest piece splits apart under a fork.

    Pressure cooker

    Never force the lid open while there is pressure inside. Wait until the pressure indicator has dropped, then open the lid away from your face.

  3. 3Reserve the broth and shred the chicken

    Lift the chicken onto a board. Measure 3⅓ cups (800 ml) of broth into a jug and keep the rest hot in the cooker for later. Pull the chicken apart with two forks into fine threads, with no chunks left. The shredded meat should look fluffy and hold no pink anywhere.

  4. 4Brown the onion and garlic

    Melt the lard in a second pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and stir until they soften and turn golden at the edges. The kitchen should smell sweet and toasty, not sharp. If the garlic starts to darken, lower the heat.

  5. 5Build the broth with the chicken and herbs

    Add the shredded chicken, the chives and parsley, salt and pepper, and pour in the reserved 3⅓ cups (800 ml) broth. Stir and bring to a boil. Taste the broth now and adjust the salt. It is ready for the cornmeal when the surface is bubbling all over.

  6. 6Stir in the cornmeal off the heat

    Turn off the heat. Add the 1 lb 2 oz (500 g) white cornmeal flakes and stir with a wooden spoon until every flake is wet. It should be moist and grainy, and it should clump when you squeeze it. It should not be loose crumbs or a smooth paste. If it looks dry, stir in hot broth from the cooker a little at a time.

  7. 7Shape the teardrops while warm

    Dip your hands in cold water. Take a portion of warm farofa, squeeze it firmly into a ball, then roll one side to a point. Re-wet your hands as soon as they start to stick. Each teardrop is done when the surface is smooth enough that no cracks open as you set it down.

    Work while it is warm

    Farofa that has cooled refuses to bind and crumbles in your hands. Keep the pot covered and shape steadily, a few at a time, so the last ones are as easy as the first.

  8. 8Wrap with dough ribbons

    Unroll the pastel dough and cut it into ribbons about ⅜ inch (1 cm) wide and up to 20 inches (50 cm) long. Start at the fat end of a teardrop and wind the ribbon upward in a spiral, overlapping each turn slightly. At the point, trim the excess, pinch it into a cone and seal the end. Press the whole spiral firmly. No farofa should show between the turns.

    Press the seams

    A loose ribbon opens in the oil. Once the spiral is on, close your hand round the coxinha and press it gently all over so each turn sticks to the one beside it.

  9. 9Fry and drain

    Heat a deep pot of oil until a scrap of dough sizzles and rises at once. Lower in a few coxinhas at a time without crowding them, and turn them so they colour evenly. When the ribbons are deep golden and blistered all round, lift them out with the skimmer. Let the oil drip back into the pot, then drain them on paper towels.