Coxinhas forever! - Brazil Legal

Coxinhas (little drumsticks) are soft, fried dumplings – filled with savory, shredded chicken and covered with a soft, delectable pastry coated in fine breadcrumbs. They are – by far – my favorite snack-bite in the world.

Coxinhas are so hard to make (see recipe here). They take forever. They take the touch of a seasoned Brazilian housewife, and a recipe that’s been handed down for generations but never written down. I’d always considered this a blessing – because I knew that if Coxinhas were always readily available I’d be done for – I love them that much – I’d eat ten a day and gain a pound a day, and well, you do the math.

THEN we moved. Last month. From Lincoln Park to Bucktown. And on our corner, there just so happens to be a Brazilian grocery Store.

Brazil Legal sells everything Brazilian: Guarana’,
passion fruit juice, pao’ de quiejo (the grown-ups Cheeto, frozen an
easy last-minute appetizer at home), salt for BBQ marinades, Hawaianas
(flip-flops)  and every cookie that any kid who’s ever been to Brazil
has been missing.

Hidden in a secret back room you’ll find the real
treat: handmade by a local Brazilian ex-pat homechef, fresh Coxinhas.
I’m not sure why they’re not advertised – nor why they’re hidden in the
back room (MMmmm…) – it’s just one of those things that you
need to be ‘in the know’ about. I always feel like an addict, my mouth
salivating as the kindly cashier escorts me to the secret back room for
my weekly fix. You can also find them frozen in bags of 12.

I’ve had to limit my visits to once a week after –
after and the scale began reflecting the novelty of it all (hey – I’d
never imagine that I’d be lucky enough to have a Brazilian grocery
store steps away) and my son, who is half-Brazilian , started calling
me a Coxinha-Head .

Brazil Legal
2153 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
(773) 772-6650