Chicken Coxinhas

For the filling, heat olive oil in a pan and sauté the minced garlic, chopped red pepper, and chopped onion for about a minute.

Add the shredded cooked chicken, season with salt and sweet paprika, and cook for one more minute.

Remove from heat, stir in the chopped parsley, and let it cool.

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil along with the chicken stock cubes, margarine, salt, and sweet paprika.

Once boiling, add the sifted wheat flour and stir continuously with a wooden spoon until the dough pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Remove from the heat and transfer the dough onto a surface brushed with margarine.

Let it cool slightly, knead until smooth, and cover with a cloth.

Take portions of the dough and shape into medium balls.

Make a hole in the center, fill with a spoonful of the chicken mixture, close the dough around the filling, and shape. Place each coxinha on a platter.

Close the dough around the filling and shape into a teardrop.

To coat the coxinhas, mix the egg whites with water in a bowl and beat until combined.

Season with salt, then add the wheat flour to form a smooth paste.

Dip each coxinha into the paste, then coat with breadcrumbs.

Fry the coxinhas in a deep pot with hot oil at 190°C until golden brown and cooked through.

Serve the hot coxinhas on a platter decorated with some lettuce leaves.