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Xinxim de galinha
Xinxim de galinha: Salvador chicken stew with dried shrimp, peanuts, cashews and dendê oil
Cooked for Oxum's feast days in the terreiros of Salvador and on ordinary Sundays in Bahian homes, xinxim de galinha is chicken braised in a thick, golden sauce of ground dried shrimp, peanuts, cashews, ginger and dendê oil. It tastes nutty, a little smoky from the palm oil and quietly savoury from the shrimp, and the sauce clings to the meat rather than pooling. Serve it with white rice, farofa de dendê and a bowl of caruru alongside. One common slip is adding the nut paste too early, so it sticks and scorches before the chicken is cooked; it goes in for the last 15 minutes. Chef's tip: use bone-in thighs and drumsticks rather than breast; they stay juicy through the braise and their gelatine gives the sauce its silky body.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the chicken
For the sauce
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rub 2 ⅝ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks with 2 limes, 2 cloves garlic and 1 ½ tsp salt. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 2: Grind 2 ⅛ oz dried shrimp, 2 ⅛ oz unsalted roasted peanuts, 2 ⅛ oz unsalted roasted cashews, half of 1 onions and 2 tbsp fresh ginger in a food processor to a coarse paste, adding a few spoonfuls of 1 ¼ cups water if needed.
Step 3: Heat 2 tbsp dendê (red palm) oil in a heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken in batches for 3–4 minutes a side until golden-orange. Lift out.
10 minStep 4: Lower the heat to medium, add the rest of 1 onions and 2 cloves garlic and fry for 5 minutes until soft.
5 minStep 5: Return the chicken with its juices and the rest of the water, cover and simmer on a low heat for 25 minutes, turning once.
25 minStep 6: Stir in the nut paste and the remaining 2 tbsp dendê (red palm) oil and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce is thick and the chicken reaches 165°F at the bone (the juices run clear and the meat pulls away easily).
15 minStep 7: Stir through 3 tbsp fresh coriander and 1 malagueta or bird's eye chilli if using, check the salt and serve with rice and farofa.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 39 g
- Carbs
- 9 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does xinxim de galinha take?
- About 85 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of limes?
- Lemon, same amount.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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