The flavor is savory with a hint of sweetness, and the chicken feet are fall-off-the-bone tender.
Chicken feet have a notable characteristic: they tend to have a stronger gamey smell, so it's important to blanch them first and then add some aromatics later—this not only removes the odor but also infuses the meat with extra fragrance. However, this stronger smell is only relative to chicken breast or thighs; compared to beef or lamb, it's still much milder, so don't overdo the spices, or you'll end up tasting only the aromatics and not the chicken. Another trait of chicken feet is that they're not too demanding on cooking time—whether you cook them a bit longer or shorter won't make a huge difference. For example, if you prefer a chewy texture, simmer them for less time; but if you're cooking for the elderly and want them soft and tender, you'll need to simmer them a bit longer.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
750 g (about 1 2/3 lbs) chicken feet
Chicken feet don't need to be too large; smaller ones will taste better.
Seasonings
Soy sauce, 25 g (about 2 tablespoons)
25 g rock sugar
5 g salt
20 g (about 1.5 tablespoons) yellow rice wine
to taste Chinese baijiu (high-proof grain liquor)
Green onions and ginger, to taste
1 dried chili pepper
Spices (Image 2)
2 slices of Chinese angelica (bai zhi)
2 star anise
3 small bay leaves
2 pieces of cardamom
2 slices of licorice root
15 Sichuan peppercorns
Instructions
Instructions
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the chicken feet and blanch for 2-3 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water.
① Wash chicken feet thoroughly and trim off the tips. Place them in a pot of cold water with a little scallion, ginger, and high-proof baijiu (Chinese liquor) (Image 3). Bring to a boil and blanch for 1 minute (Image 4), skimming off any foam. Drain and set aside.
*Chicken feet have a slightly strong gamey smell, so during the initial preparation, be sure to place them in cold water when adding to the pot, and also add some high-proof liquor, which will significantly reduce the odor.
Stir-fry sugar to caramelize (for color and flavor).
Step 2: Place a small amount of water and oil in the wok, add the rock sugar, and cook over medium-low heat until it turns a reddish-brown color (Image 5).
*If you don't know how to caramelize sugar for color, you can use dark soy sauce instead—the color won't be as good, but it won't affect the flavor much.
Simmer chicken feet in seasoned liquid until tender.
Add the blanched chicken feet and stir-fry over high heat for a few seconds, then add scallions, ginger, spices, and dried chilies, stir-frying for another few seconds. Next, add soy sauce and Shaoxing wine, stir-frying until fragrant (Image 6). Finally, add enough hot water to cover, bring to a boil over high heat (Image 7).
Once the caramel color is ready, do not stir-fry the chicken feet and other ingredients for too long, or the caramel will burn and turn bitter. As soon as the chicken feet are evenly colored, quickly add the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and hot water—speed is essential.
*Use just enough water to barely cover the chicken feet—too little water and they won't absorb the flavor, too much water wastes time and makes it hard to reduce the sauce.
④ Add salt, cover with lid, and simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes. Remove the lid, then increase to high heat to reduce the sauce until only a small amount of thick, sticky liquid remains, then remove from the pan (Figure 8).
*Because chicken feet are very high in collagen, you must stir them constantly during the final sauce reduction to prevent sticking and burning.
Flexible application
This cooking method works well for chicken and duck, and can be used for chicken legs, wings, or whole chicken cut into pieces—just adjust the braising time slightly depending on the size of the ingredients.