Pickled Chicken Feet Chinese Style Guide
If you live in China, you will see two popular Chinese foods on Chinese streets. One is spicy duck neck, the other is pickled chicken feet. Pickled chicken feet (also called chicken feet with pickled peppers, marinated chicken feet, Chinese name is 泡椒凤爪 Pao Jiao Feng Zhua) belong to the Sichuan snack which is a unique folk delicacy that originated in Chongqing. The pickled chicken feet are mainly made of chicken feet and pickled mountain pepper and are a famous traditional food of the Han nationality in Sichuan province.
It is famous for its hot and sour refreshing taste, tough skin, and meaty fragrance. Not only it is both elegant but also popular among ordinary people. This delicacy has the effect of appetizing, producing body fluid, and promoting blood circulation. That’s why it has become a popular Chinese snack in many Chinese cities nowadays. If you like cold dishes, you will like this Chinese snack which is very easy to eat and full of elasticity.
Chicken Feet
The nutrition value of chicken feet is quite high. Chicken feet are also contain rich in calcium and collagen. According to Japanese researchers, they have found that chicken feet contain four proteins that can effectively suppress high blood pressure.
In our Chinese pickled chicken feet recipe, we use the blanching cooking method to remove the raw taste and make it easy to eat but still have a chewy taste. Base on our pickled chicken recipe, you can adjust its taste by your flavor. If you mind that the spicy taste, you can add less pickled pepper and pickled pepper water. If you master this method to cook chicken feet, you will never buy the cooked chicken feet from Walmart.
If you want to watch the detailed video guide for this recipe, you can watch it below.
How To Make Pickled Chicken Feet
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
Firstly, we should prepare ingredients for this snack. Cut 2 chili peppers into small pieces. Then save them for later. Cut 6 slices of ginger. Then save them for later. Slice 2 cloves of garlic. Then save them for later.
Prepare Ingredients
Step 2: Prepare Mixed Spices Bag
Next, we should prepare the mixed spices bag. Add 5g Sichuan pepper, 5g star anise, 5 bay leaves into the bag. Then save them for later.
Prepare Mixed Spices Bag
Step 3: Prepare Chicken Feet
Next, we should prepare 500g chicken feet for this snack. Use water to wash them. Then cut off the nails of the chicken feet. After that, cut the chicken foot into 3 pieces. Then save them for later.
We recommend you buy fresh chicken feet for this recipe. If you can’t buy it, the freeze chicken feet are ok. But remember to unfreeze them before you start to cut them.
Prepare Chicken Feet
Step 4: Blanch Chicken Feet
Next, we should blanch chicken feet. Firstly, add 5 green onions, 3 slices of ginger, 1 tablespoon cooking wine, chicken feet into the pan. The cook wine can help us to remove the meat flavor of the chicken feet. Then add enough water to immerse them. Use the big fire to boil them. After the water has boiled, use the small fire to blanch chicken feet for 15 minutes. We should scum the bubble when the water is boiling.
After 15 minutes, drain the chicken feet and use ice water to cool them for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use the water to wash them. Then drain and save them for later.
If we want to keep it in the refrigerator more time, we should use the cold water(the boiled water become cold) to wash them last time.
Blanch Chicken Feet
Step 5: Cook Spices Water
Next, we should cook spices water. Add mixed spices bag, 800 ml water into the pan. Use the big fire to heat it. After the water has boiled, use the big fire to cook it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, discard the mixed spices bag and pour out the water to let it cold.
Cook Spices Water
Step 6: Prepare Vinegar Water
Next, we should prepare vinegar water. Add 5 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate into the bowl. Stir them evenly. Then save them for later.
Prepare Vinegar Water
Step 7: Make Pickled Chicken Feet
Now, we can start to make pickled chicken feet. Add 3 slices of ginger, garlic, chili peppers, 250g pickled pepper, and pickled pepper water into the pot. Then add spices water, vinegar water into the pot. Stir them evenly with a glove.
Make Pickled Chicken Feet
You can taste it to make sure that it is fit your flavor. If not, you can add some water, salt, or pickled pepper, and pickled pepper water to adjust it. Cover with a plastic wrap and chill overnight for at least 12 hours. Please make sure the water can immerse all of the chicken feet.
Cover With A Plastic Wrap
After 12 hours, we got the delicious pickled chicken feet. The freshness of the chicken feet combines with the crispness of the pickled peppers to make the meat tender and chewy, salty and spicy with a slightly sour aftertaste. Hope you can try it at home.
Delicious Pickled Chicken Feet
Cooking Tips For Pickled Chicken Feet
- We should clean all of the nails of the chicken feet. If you don’t know how to use the knife to do it. You can use the scissor to remove them.
- Chicken feet shouldn’t be cooked too long. The meat will rot if we cooked too long. Blanching chicken feet for 15 minutes is enough. But we also need to use cold water(ice water will be better) to immerse them for 10 minutes. It can make the chicken feet crisper.
- We can also add sweet and sour sauce or pickled pepper water to make chicken feet more appetizing and refreshing. You can also add some think like lemon juice or passion fruit juice to adjust for your favorite taste.
- The pot for soaking chicken feet must be free of water and oil to avoid deterioration during the pickling process.
- Pickled pepper water must be more than water so that the chicken feet are more fragrant more delicious.
FAQ About Recipe
How Long Does Pickled Chicken Feet Last?
If we keep it in a sealed container and put it into the refrigerator that keeps it for about 20 days. In winter, it can be stored at room temperature for about 5-6 days. If we want to keep it more time, we should add more salt to the sauce. Please remember that we should keep it with the sauce. But we recommend that eat it in 1-2 days.
How Long Do You Brine Chicken Feet?
We think the best time to eat is after 24 hours. After 24 hours, the chicken feet have absorbed the sauce enough.
That’s our pickled chicken feet recipe today. If you have any problems with this recipe, please let me know.
Pickled Chicken Feet
Ingredients(affiliate link)
- 500 g chicken feet
- 2 chili peppers
- 6 slices of ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 5 green onions
- 5 g Sichuan pepper
- 5 g star anise
- 5 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine
- 5 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon monosodium glutamate
- 250 g pickled peppers it will includes pickled pepper water
Instructions
- Firstly, we should prepare ingredients for this snack. Cut 2 chili peppers into small pieces. Then save them for later. Cut 6 slices of ginger. Then save them for later. Slice 2 cloves of garlic. Then save them for later.
- Next, we should prepare the mixed spices bag. Add 5g Sichuan pepper, 5g star anise, 5 bay leaves into the bag. Then save them for later.
- Next, we should prepare 500g chicken feet for this snack. Use water to wash them. Then cut off the nails of the chicken feet. After that, cut the chicken foot into 3 pieces. Then save them for later.
- Next, we should blanch chicken feet. Firstly, add 5 green onions, 3 slices of ginger, 1 tablespoon cooking wine, chicken feet into the pan. The cook wine can help us to remove the meat flavor of the chicken feet. Then add enough water to immerse them. Use the big fire to boil them. After the water has boiled, use the small fire to blanch chicken feet for 15 minutes. We should scum the bubble when the water is boiling. After 15 minutes, drain the chicken feet and use ice water to cool them for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, use the water to wash them. Then drain and save them for later.
- Next, we should cook spices water. Add mixed spices bag, 800 ml water into the pan. Use the big fire to heat it. After the water has boiled, use the big fire to cook it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, discard mixed spices bag and pour out the water to let it cold.
- Next, we should prepare vinegar water. Add 5 tablespoons white vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon monosodium glutamate into the bowl. Stir them evenly. Then save them for later.
- Now, we can start to make pickled chicken feet. Add 3 slices of ginger, garlic, chili peppers, 250g pickled pepper, and pickled pepper water into the pot. Then add spices water, vinegar water into the pot. Stir them evenly with a glove. You can taste it to make sure that it is fit your flavor. If not, you can add some water, salt, or pickled pepper, and pickled pepper water to adjust it. Cover with a plastic wrap and chill overnight for at least 12 hours. After 12 hours, we got the delicious pickled chicken feet. The freshness of the chicken feet combines with the crispness of the pickled peppers to make the meat tender and chewy, salty and spicy with a slightly sour aftertaste. Hope you can try it at home.
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