Xinxim de Galinha

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Heavy 4-liter pot or clean panela de barro
• •Food processor or pilão
• •Tongs
• •Wooden spoon
• •Measuring cups and spoons

Instructions

1. 1

   Season the chicken

   Put the chicken in a bowl with the salt, black pepper, and lime juice. Rub it well and let it sit while you prep the rest, 15 to 20 minutes. That short rest seasons the surface and takes away the fridge chill, so the chicken browns instead of sulking in the pot.

2. 2

   Grind the base

   Put the dried shrimp, peanuts, and cashews in a food processor and pulse until sandy and uneven, not nut butter. You want small crumbs that will melt into the sauce and thicken it. Grind too far and the nuts turn greasy; leave them whole and they sit there like passengers.

   A pilão is beautiful if you have one. A food processor is honest Tuesday equipment. Use it and don't apologize.
3. 3

   Brown the chicken

   Warm the neutral oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry, then brown it in batches until the outside takes on deep golden spots, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Don't crowd the pot. If the pieces pile up, they release water, the heat drops, and you're steaming the chicken grey instead of building flavor.

4. 4

   Murchar the onions

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the onions to the same pot and cook, stirring and scraping the browned bits from the bottom, until they go soft, glossy, and see-through, about 8 minutes. Those browned bits are flavor the chicken already paid for, so don't leave them stuck to the pan.

5. 5

   Finish the refogado

   Add the garlic, ginger, chile if using, and chopped cilantro stems. Cook for 1 minute, just until the smell rises and turns rounded. Garlic burns fast and turns bitter, and bitterness loves to announce itself in every spoonful, the dramatic thing.

6. 6

   Cook the shrimp paste

   Stir in the ground shrimp, peanuts, and cashews. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture smells toasted and clings to the onions. This wakes up the nuts and shrimp before liquid goes in, so the sauce tastes built, not blended.

7. 7

   Make the molho

   Pour in the coconut milk and water or broth, stirring until the paste loosens into a thick sauce. Add the dendê and stir until the molho turns rust-orange and glossy. Use real azeite de dendê. Refined palm oil is not dendê, and annatto-colored oil is not dendê wearing a clever hat.

8. 8

   Simmer gently

   Return the chicken and any juices to the pot. Bring the sauce to a low bubble, cover partly, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, turning the pieces once, until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Keep it gentle. A hard boil can split the coconut milk and tighten the chicken before the sauce has time to thicken.

9. 9

   Adjust the ponto

   Uncover and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more if the sauce looks thin. It should coat the spoon and leave a clear line when you drag your finger across the back. If it gets too thick, add water by the tablespoon. Ponto is not drama, it's paying attention.

10. 10

    Finish and serve

    Taste for salt, then stir in most of the cilantro leaves and parsley if using. Add the extra tablespoon of dendê only if the color and flavor need it. Serve with arroz soltinho, feijão, couve, and lime wedges. The lime wakes the richness without pretending to make the dish something it isn't.

Chef Tips

• •Dendê is non-negotiable here. Buy azeite de dendê with a deep red-orange color and a nutty, unmistakable smell. Refined deodorized palm oil is not the same ingredient, and oil tinted with annatto is a costume, not a substitute.
• •Use full-fat coconut milk. The thin version dilutes the sauce and makes you chase body with extra cooking, which is how chicken gets tired. A Tuesday can be simple without being watery.
• •Camarão seco brings salt and depth, so taste before adding more salt at the end. If your dried shrimp is very salty, rinse it quickly. Don't soak the soul out of it.
• •The honest shortcut is using a food processor for the shrimp and nuts. The dishonest shortcut is a packet of seasoning pretending to be Bahia. One saves your wrist. The other steals the dish.
• •Serve this with rice, beans, and something green. Xinxim is rich, so couve refogada or steamed okra keeps the plate balanced without turning dinner into punishment.
• •Leftovers thicken in the fridge because the nuts keep drinking liquid. Reheat gently with a splash of water, not on a furious boil.

Advance Preparation

• •The shrimp, peanuts, and cashews can be ground 1 day ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
• •The chicken can be seasoned up to 8 hours ahead. Keep it covered in the fridge, then let it sit out 20 minutes before browning.
• •Xinxim keeps 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water until the sauce loosens and turns glossy again.
• •Freeze in portions for up to 2 months. The sauce may look slightly separated after thawing; warm it slowly and stir until it comes back together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 300g)