Country Chicken Frango Caipira Recipes

CHICKEN PIE (TORTA DE FRANGO)

Steps:

• This is very typically Brazilian. Put the flour and the salt in a mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the flour until the pieces are about the size of peas. Add the beaten eggs and mix well. It will probably be too dry and so you will need to add a few drops of water at a time until the mass holds together in a ball. The dough should not be handled too much. Let it sit in the refrigerator for one hour. Put chicken breasts in a marinade of the salt and the lemon juice for 30 minutes. In a large frying pan, heat the cooking oil, fry the onion, garlic, and the chicken breasts and cook until golden. Add the tomato sauce, the bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and remove the chicken breasts. Pull the chicken breasts apart with 2 forks until stringy. Put the pulled chicken back into the sauce. Add the boiling water along with the peas, olives, beaten egg yolks and the parsley. Mix well and let it continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll out about half the crust on a floured surface and put in a pie or cake tin. Cut off the surplus and put in the filling. Roll out the other half of the crust and put on top. Decorate as in the photo and pinch the upper and lower crusts together around the edge. It is also more beautiful if you beat one more egg yolk and paint the top of the pie. Make a few slits in the top for the steam to escape.

CHICKEN BAKED IN A PUMPKIN (FRANGO NA MORANGA)

Steps:

• Cut the lid off the pumpkin and clean out the seeds etc. Use your hands to rub the room-temperature cream cheese inside the pumpkin. In a frying pan cook the onion, and garlic in the cooking oil. Add the cut up chicken and fry, seasoning with salt and pepper. Add mushrooms. Whip the tomatoes in a blender and add to the chicken mixture with the chopped parsley. Pour this mixture into the pumpkin, replace the lid and bake for about an hour in a 350 degrees oven, or until the pumpkin is tender, but not overcooked. Serve with Brazilian rice. When you dish this up from a buffet table, be sure to scrape some of the pumpkin into the chicken mixture as it is delicious. This is a real favorite at our house and with all of our married children when pumpkins are ready for sale.

FRANGO CHURRASCO (GRILLED LEMON & GARLIC CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Place the chicken in a shallow, non-metallic dish and cover with all the other ingredients and mix everything together. Cover and chill for at least 2 hrs, or overnight if possible. Bring to room temperature 1 hr before grilling.
• Thread half the thighs onto 2 large metal skewers, or wooden ones soaked in water for 10 mins. Repeat with the remaining thighs and another 2 skewers. Heat an outdoor barbecue until very hot, or use an oven grill. Place on the grill for 6 mins on one side, then turn over and cook for 4 mins. Cook for a few mins more on each side if they are large - keep the heat on medium so they don't burn. Remove and keep warm under foil.

COUNTRY CHICKEN (FRANGO CAIPIRA)

Steps:

• Marinate chicken for one half hour in garlic, onion, lemon juice. Fry chicken in cooking oil until golden. Add the seasonings the chicken has been marinating in. Add cilantro and chopped tomato. Cover and let cook over low heat until tender. Add butter and bell pepper. Continue cooking until tender.

ROAST CHICKEN (FRANGO ASSADO)

Steps:

• This common traditional recipe is very easy. Chickens are roasted whole. Wash chicken or chickens, depending upon how many people you will be serving. Melt 1/2 square of butter for each chicken. Pour butter over the top of the chicken and sprinkle with garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and parsley. Roast at 350 degrees for about one hour or until browned.