Mushroom Coxinha
I first had Coxinha from a Brazilian food truck in Hawaii, we happened to be there over the Brazilian race weekend and wanted something to snack on while we watched the race on our laptop in the hotel room. We are dedicated, you see. The coxinha were fried to perfection and tangy and savory on the inside with just the right amount of chew and crunch from the fried dough exterior. The filling was the classic chicken, onions, parsley, and was delicious.
I wanted to try something a little different so I went on a little hunt for a vegetarian version this time. These Mushroom Coxinha hit the mark. The filling is interesting enough to stand up to dough and packs a nice punch of flavor.
We had friends over for dinner and they helped stuff and shape the coxinha before we fried them up. It was fun to get everyone involved! This filling may make more than you need, but you don’t want to run out! It is great on a slice of bread or in a pita the next day if you don’t use it all up in the dumplings.
Mushroom Coxinha
Filling:
2-3 tablespoons, divided
6 cups (1 ½ lbs) cremini or button mushrooms, chopped
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon water
¼ cup fresh parsley, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
½ - 1 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
pinch of cayenne pepper
Dough:
10-11 ounces (~2 cups) all-purpose flour
8 ounces (1 cup) low-fat milk
8 ounces (1 cup)low-sodium vegetable or mushroom stock
Breading:
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 ½ cups breadcrumbs (1 cup fine breadcrumbs + 1/2 cup panko)
2-3 quarts of vegetable oil for frying
To make the Filling:
1. In a large skillet over medium-high, add enough oil to coat the pan (probably about 1-2 tablespoons) and sauté the mushrooms until golden brown, allow mushrooms to release their liquid, and continue to cook down until it has cooked off and the mushrooms begin to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Transfer the browned mushrooms to a large bowl and set aside.
2. Add a bit more oil (another tablespoon or so) to the same skillet and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is translucent, about 3-6 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms back to the pan and add the tomato paste and water. Sauté for a 1-2 minutes until all the vegetables are evenly coated. Then add all remaining ingredients (parsley, thyme, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, paprika, lemon zest, and cayenne) and cook for another 2 minutes until well mixed. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if necessary. Place the mushroom filling in a bowl and set aside to cool.
To make the Dough:
4. In a medium saucepan, bring vegetable stock and milk to a boil.
5. Once boiling, add 10 oz. of flour all at once, remove from heat, and stir constantly until the dough forms a ball. If needed, add more flour a little bit at a time if the dough is too wet/sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and let it rest until it is cool enough to handle., about 20 minutes.
6. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes, until it feels smooth and cool to the touch. If the dough is still too wet, continue to knead flour into the dough a little bit at a time.
To assemble and fry the Coxinha:
7. Bring a large pot of vegetable oil up to 350° F.
8. Take about 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a small ball. Then flatten each ball into a disc and place a heaping tsp. of filling in the center. Bring the dough up around the filling and pinch the dough at the top to make a little pear shape. Make sure you have enough filling in each; you don't want it to be too doughy.
9. Once all the coxinha are assembled, roll them in flour, then egg, and then evenly and thoroughly coat with breadcrumbs.
10. Fry 3-5 coxinha at a time for 3-5 minutes each, until deeply golden brown and crispy. Some may take a little longer than others depending on how thick the dough is. Check one from your first batch to determine if they may need more time.
11. To keep a large batch warm in the oven, place a rack on a sheet tray and set the oven to 200°F, place each batch on the tray and keep in the oven until ready to serve. Serve warm or room temperature.
Adapted from Shauna Burke