Side · Brazilian
Pão de Queijo
A good side is the glue of a dinner table. This one has held a lot of meals together for me.
Method
- 1.Heat the milk, oil and salt together in a small saucepan until it's just about to boil — you want to see bubbles forming around the edge but not a full rolling boil.
- 2.Tip the tapioca flour into a mixing bowl and pour the hot liquid over it all at once. Stir it together with a wooden spoon. It'll look like lumpy, stringy white paste and that's completely fine.
- 3.Let the mixture cool down to around body temperature — if you rush this next step the eggs will scramble and nobody wants that.
- 4.Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, until you have a smooth, sticky, slightly elastic dough.
- 5.Fold in the grated cheese and work it through evenly.
- 6.Lightly oil your hands — the dough is very sticky — and roll it into balls about the size of a walnut. Arrange them on a lined baking tray with a little space between each.
- 7.Bake at 200°C for around 20 to 25 minutes, until they've puffed up dramatically and turned pale golden on top.
- 8.Eat them warm from the oven. They're never quite as good once they've cooled completely, but nobody ever has leftovers so it rarely matters.
Notes
A heavy pan makes a surprising amount of difference here. If you only own one good one, this is a good reason to dig it out.
If you have fresh herbs, use them. If you don't, dried is fine. I've done both and nobody has complained.