Chicken feet are a delicacy in many cuisines around the world, prized for their gelatinous texture and rich flavor. They’re most commonly used in soups, broths, dim sum, and stews rather than eaten like regular meat. Here’s an overview of preparation and a classic recipe:
🐓 Chicken Feet Overview
Why they’re valued:
- High in collagen → gives soups and stews a silky, rich texture.
- Can be deep-fried, braised, or used to flavor stocks.
Preparation tips:
- Clean thoroughly: Trim nails at the tips and peel off any rough outer skin.
- Blanching: Boil for 3–5 minutes and then rinse under cold water to remove impurities.
🍲 Braised Chicken Feet (Dim Sum Style)
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 1–1.5 hr
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) chicken feet, cleaned
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (for color)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine or sherry
- 2 tsp sugar
- 2–3 slices ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 cups (480 ml) water or chicken stock
- 1–2 dried red chilies (optional)
Instructions
- Blanch the chicken feet:
- Boil feet in water for 3–5 minutes, drain, and rinse under cold water.
- Fry or boil briefly:
- Optional: Deep-fry feet at medium heat until skin is slightly golden and puffy — this gives a better texture after braising.
- Braise:
- In a pot, combine soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, rice wine, ginger, garlic, and water.
- Add chicken feet and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat, cover, and simmer 1–1.5 hours until feet are soft and gelatinous.
- Serve:
- Traditionally served hot as dim sum, or chilled in soups and stews.
- Garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro.
🍴 Other Ways to Enjoy Chicken Feet
- Soup/stock: Adds body and richness to broths.
- Spicy pickled chicken feet: Popular in Chinese and Thai street food.
- Deep-fried and crispy: Common in Filipino cuisine (adobo-style).
If you want, I can give a step-by-step dim sum recipe with the classic “phoenix claws” style that’s tender, flavorful, and restaurant-quality. Do you want me to do that?
