Literally everywhere on pub menus, the chicken bird lives up to its reputation – small, tender pieces of chicken arrive at the table fried and dry, usually under a generous slice of garlic. Let’s face it, there’s nothing better to accompany a cold beer.
And the success of the snack is nothing new. One of the first mentions of the dish since the 1950s, in an advertisement for a supermarket in Curitiba (PR).
Despite its popularity, the recipe has a nebulous origin. A quick Google search is enough to find a bunch of conflicting versions, almost all made up. The truth is, our chickens have Italian DNA.
not always chicken
According to researcher Silvana Azevedo, an expert in Italian gastronomy, it is an adjustment of pollo all’uccelletto (chicken to bird, in literal translation) and arrived in the country through foreigners.
In Italy, says Silvana, the recipe has many variations, which vary according to the region. In Emilia-Romagna, it is prepared with beef or pork. In Lombardy, it appears on skewers of calf’s liver, pork, lard and sage.
“As Italy values local ingredients, the recipe is based on what’s available,” she said. In Tuscany, even meat is not taken fagioli all’uccelletto It is a way to cook beans.
The sauce uses olive oil, garlic and sage and may have originated from the spices used in raising chickens,” Silvana explained.
Fagioli all’uccelletto, prepared with chicken
Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Why “birds”?
A common misconception is to think that the birds are talking only because of the small size of the cut. It turns out that, in the past, eating small wild birds was a common practice.
you are a bird
Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
The “National Cook” book, first published in 1860, has a whole chapter dedicated to recipes based on larks, partridges, doves, turtledoves and thrushes. And it is no different among the Italian refugees, who brought bird culture to Rio Grande do Sul, later transformed into galeto al primo canto, one of the most famous gaucho.
Perhaps the chicken is one of those adaptations, but with a Southeastern accent.
Traditional and personal recipes
Today, every bar and every restaurant has its own way of making spices. In Pirajá, only salt and black pepper are used, but the portion is served with fried cassava and farofa.
Bar Brahma’s Chicken
Image: Exposure
At Bar Brahma, where 200 kilos of chicken are consumed a week, chef Israel Cunha follows a different recipe created by consultant Daniela França Pinto – before frying, the chicken is cut and fed ‘o’i 48 in salt marinade. , black pepper, lemon zest, Syrian pepper and dijon mustard.
After that, they went through a “secret” stage, which We find out how to make it: already fried, the chicken is fried in a mixture of butter, olive oil, garlic, onion, chili pepper and, here it is, a touch of brown sugar. The share price is R$ 48.
There are bars that contain fried garlic, some swap the garlic for a sprinkling of parsley. There are those who defend the harmless pepper sauce to accompany, but there are people who do not give up mayonnaise. In the pub, deep frying in plenty of hot oil dominates kitchens, but there is no shortage of recipes adapted for the air fryer popping up on the web.
But, at least one point, chefs and bartenders agree: chicken and poultry should be eaten without a fork and knife and even with a napkin. It is to rub your fingers with love.
you are a bird
from Bar Brahma
Ingredients
- 700 g chicken, cut into pieces
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 40 g of Syrian pepper
- 10 g of dijon mustard
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- soy oil
- 20 g of butter
- 30 ml of olive oil
- 1 minced garlic onion
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 g sugar water
- 2 g chili pepper
- 10 g of parsley
- fresh coriander to taste
- 5 g garlic pieces
Preparation mode
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, Syrian pepper, dijon mustard and lemon juice. Let marinate in the refrigerator for 48 hours.
Put the chicken in the oven for 20 minutes – if you don’t have a steamer, put a baking sheet with water on the bottom of the oven.
Remove the cut from the oven and fry in hot oil until golden. Reserve
In a pan, melt butter and oil and brown chopped garlic, with onion, brown pepperoni, parsley, and quickly. Add the chicken to the hot pan and allow the sauce to cover all parts.
Finish with lime juice, parsley, cilantro and garlic cloves.
Pirajá bird chicken
Image: Exposure
you are a bird
from Pirajá
Ingredients
- 750 g chicken, cut into pieces
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- soy oil
- 120 g of boiled cassava
- 5 minced garlic cloves
- olive oil to taste
- 100 g of cassava flour
- 1 bunch of parsley
Preparation mode
Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and fry in very hot oil (180ºC) for about 5 minutes. Add the cooked cassava and let it fry for about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a pan, heat oil and brown 3 cloves of garlic. Add fried cassava and chicken and fry. Reserve
In a pan, add oil, then fry the rest of the garlic and add the flour. Add salt and stir until the farofa is cooked.
Serve the farofa on the bottom of the plate, with the chicken and cassava on top. Finish with parsley, quickly sauté in hot oil.