Coxinha In The Oven

Our answer

Nigella's version of Coxinha are a bite-sized version of the Brazilian chicken croquettes. They are deep fried as this gives them a good colour and with this method they cook quickly. Unfortunately if you bake the Coxinha they are likely to look quite pallid in comparison to the deep fried version as breadcrumbs don't really colour as well, or as evenly, in the oven.

If you did want to bake the Coxinha then we would prefer to fry them briefly first and then finish them in the oven. If you were making them in advance then we would suggest frying the croquettes until just coloured on the outside, then sitting them on a baking sheet lined with kitchen paper until cool. Refrigerate the Coxinha as soon as they are cool (and within 2 hours of frying) in single layers in in airtight containers. To reheat, put the Coxinha on a baking sheet and bake in an oven preheated to 180c/160c Fan/350F for 10-15 minutes. Make sure the Coxinha are piping hot in the centre before removing from the oven, then cool slightly before serving.