There are several ways in which you can prepare and enjoy this delicacy that comes with very little meat. The question, however, is how to cook chicken feet? You may want them spicy and hot, sour, or just salted, plain, and simple. Depending on any recipe you decide on, chicken feet are amazing appetizers. It is therefore, for that reason that I shall here below outline at least three recipes in which can follow and to know cook chicken feet.
How to Cook Spicy and Hot Chicken Feet
This is an amazing meal that take up to 35 minutes to fully prepare. The flavors present in this dish are out of this world. Incorporated are hot chillies, ginger, cinnamon and infamous sake. And not forgetting traditional hoisin and oyster sauce, it is bound to leave you wanting more. The other elements need for this dish include; water, sugar, scallion, and salt.
Preparation
The steps followed in the cooking of these chicken feet are not as many and are easy to follow. First and foremost, boil water in a large cooking pot. Throw in your raw chicken feet and leave for a minute as the hot water works its magic. After the minute spent while soaking, place them apart to cool, then begin skinning them. Skinning from the nails up is more manageable, but any other way is allowed. Ensure the top layer scales are completely gone before you prepare all the other ingredients.
Cooking
Once your chicken feet are free of scales and nails, rub with salt and set aside for up to 8 minutes. After that, proceed to wash with cold water then throw them into a pot of boiling water. Boil for five minutes before draining and putting aside. In the event you have prepared chicken feet in excess of what you will consume, refrigerate the extra feet for future use, say in a day or two. Next, on a highly heated pan, brown you chicken feet lightly. Once brown, add all your other ingredients save the garnish. Cover your pan and cook for at least ten minutes before uncovering. Continue cooking until all the soup is almost gone, constantly tossing to distribute your spices on the feet evenly.
And that is how to cook chicken feet with a spicy hot flavor. Garnish with scallion once served and enjoy.
Tip: If packed in an airtight bag, chicken feet can retain their freshness for up to half a year. Don’t forget to thoroughly clean the chicken feet and discarding the peeled layer as they have no more use.
Dim Sum Chicken Feet
Among the many Chinese ways you can prepare chicken feet, dim sum is the most common. The reason is due to the rich flavour with which the dish is endowed. While some people find them weird, chicken feet are quite famous delicacies worldwide. They can be enjoyed as appetizers as well as side dishes. Unlike the spicy and hot chicken feet, which are quite simple to prepare, dim sum chicken feet cooking is a bit complex.
Preparation and Cooking
It involves several steps as you want to ensure it is perfect by the time you are done. Begin by cutting off any dirty parts of the feet together with the claws. Then proceed to cut the feet into two halves. In a big pot of boiling water infused with a little sugar, salt, and rice vinegar, add your chicken feet. Leave to cook for about two minutes before draining and setting aside. While they cool off, marinate with soy sauce and let it rest for half an hour.
As the marinating time almost comes to an end, put enough oil in a frying pan on high heat. Once hot, deep fry the feet until they turn golden brown. Dim sum in Chinese means tiger skin; this is because their surfaces are wrinkled. How to cook chicken feet that have these wrinkles happens in the next stage. Your chicken feet are now golden brown but free of lines. Remove them from the oil and soak overnight in cold water. The process could take one to three hours depending on your schedule and your need for the wrinkles.
Once you have attained the texture you are comfortable with, now prepare your sauce. You require garlic, ginger, chili pepper, green onions, oyster and soy sauce, warm water, and star anise. Once your sauce is ready, steam the chicken feet for about 20 minutes before adding your sauce. Let them steam for half an hour, and your yummy dim sum chicken feet are ready to eat. Serve when hot.
Simple Salted Chicken Feet
Sometime you may want to enjoy a meal without the extra flavor of spices. When the urge strikes, here is how to cook chicken feet and fast. The only other ingredients you require apart from chicken feet are onions, green pepper, water, and chicken spice. In a pot of boiling water, add your cleaned chicken feet and continue cooking for a few minutes. Then proceed to add the green pepper and onion. Cook for a while before adding the rest of the ingredients. Continue cooking until your chicken feet are nice and tender. Your chicken feet are ready to eat. Eat while hot and preheat for later use if in excess.
Final Thought
The above recipes answer the question, how to cook chicken feet comprehensively and thus give you no reason not to enjoy this delicacy. It could take a few minutes or a few hours depending on the recipe you decide on. The results are all amazing and exciting for your taste buds making you want to indulge in this dish every once in a while. It is important to note how vital it is that you properly clean your chicken feet before cooking them.
Also, ensure you get rid of all the upper layer scales and claws as they are useless. As always, enjoying this meal from the comfort of your home means the ingredients are added as per your preference, and therefore, you can be able to control the health benefits with which it might be endowed. If not a fun of high sodium, minimize the usage of soy sauce in your chicken feet and substitute with other sauces with which you are comfortable. Chicken feet make the perfect side dish or entrees as they are not full of meat.
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