Brine & Butter

Side · Brazilian

Pão de Queijo

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. 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. 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. 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. 4.Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, until you have a smooth, sticky, slightly elastic dough.
  5. 5.Fold in the grated cheese and work it through evenly.
  6. 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. 7.Bake at 200°C for around 20 to 25 minutes, until they've puffed up dramatically and turned pale golden on top.
  8. 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.

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