What is a Chinese chicken feet recipe?
Are you familiar with Chinese chicken feet? Chinese chicken feet recipe is a traditional Chinese dish in Chinese cuisine. It is commonly served in a Chinese dim sum restaurant but can also be found at many Cantonese restaurants across the United States. The Chinese name for this dish is "phoenix talons" or "phoenix claws."（凤爪） Chicken feet are also used in many other Asian cuisines, including Korean and Vietnamese.
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The funny thing is that my husband commented, " Are they what I think they are?" while I was preparing this recipe. The Chinese love chicken feet. It is a "Chinese thing." They're cheap, full of protein and collagen, and have a texture similar to calamari. While some people may enjoy eating chicken feet for their flavor alone, others may find them too challenging due to their consistency and texture. If you want to try this dish but need to figure out how it compares to other foods, consider buying some chicken feet at your local Chinese restaurant or grocery store and experimenting with cooking them yourself at home!
Ingredients
The most common preparation is boiling or steaming chicken feet before deep frying them in oil until crispy and browned outside. The deep-fried chicken feet are soaked and coated with spices before being cooked again. The primary ingredients include:
Chicken Feet: You can get them from Asian markets.
Vegetable oil: to deep fry the chicken feet.
Cinnamon stick, Chinese star anise, bay leaves, and cloves garlic: These ingredients bring rich flavor to the chicken feet by boiling them.
Fresh ginger slices, green onions, and Chinese Shaoxing wine: Add these ingredients to blanch the chicken feet.
Light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce: are the coating sauce to steam the chicken feet.
Corn starch, red chili pepper, and light soy sauce: These ingredients must be cooked and poured onto the chicken feet before steaming. You can substitute red chili pepper with chili sauce if you don't have fresh red chili.
Black bean sauce: Some people like to add black bean sauce to the chicken feet at the final steaming step, but I did not. It is an option.
Step-by-step instructions
Here are several steps to make this recipe:
Boil: The first thing is to clean and prepare the chicken feet by trimming the nails and removing dirt or debris. In a pot, bring a pot of water to a boil. (enough water to cover the chicken feet) Add the chicken feet, green onion, ginger, Chinese Shaoxing wine, and blanch for 10 minutes. Drain the water and pat the chicken feet dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
Deep frying: Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a wok or large pan. Deep fry the dried chicken feet until they turn golden brown, about 6 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken feet with a slotted spoon.
Soak: Soak the deep-fried chicken feet in hot water for one hour or until the surface of the chicken feet puffs up, getting the "wrinkled look."
Boil again: In a large pot, add cold water, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves, ginger, minced garlic, and fried chicken feet. Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 40 minutes. Discard everything but the chicken feet.
Mix the sauce in coat the soaked chicken feet with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce, mix well, and arrange it into the steamer for the next step.
Mix the corn starch and water in a small bowl until well combined to make a slurry. Add the red chili pepper and stir until fragrant. (You can skip this step for something other than spicy flavor). Pour in slurry and light soy sauce, and continue to stir fry until the sauce has thickened even more. Pour this sauce over top of the chicken feet.
Steam: Steam 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions and red chili slices. Your Chinese chicken feet dim sum style is now ready to be served! Enjoy!
What is the key to making perfect Chinese chicken feet recipe?
- The blanching step is important. You can rinse them with iced water before patting them dry. (optional)This will make them tender and juicy after being cooked again later.
- The most important step of this recipe is soaking them in water for at least an hour after frying the chicken feet. This will ensure the chicken feet' surface puffs up, getting the "wrinkled look."
- Heat the cooking oil until it becomes hot enough to fry the chicken feet.
Can I use an air fryer instead of deep frying?
Yes! Although the deep frying method is a traditional way to fry the chicken feet, you can always use the air fryer method instead, especially if you want a healthier way. Brush a thin layer of oil to coat the chicken feet evenly. Arrange the chicken feet into the air fryer basket, 350F degrees for 15 minutes, that's it!
Health benefits of chicken feet
Chicken feet are a nutritious food that can provide several health benefits. Here are some of the healthy benefits of chicken feet:
Joint health: Chicken feet contain collagen essential for maintaining healthy joints. Collagen helps cushion and lubricate joints, reducing pain and inflammation.
Skin health: The collagen content in chicken feet can also improve skin health by promoting skin elasticity and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
Digestive health: Chicken feet contain gelatin, which is beneficial for digestive health. Gelatin can help to improve digestion and reduce inflammation in the gut.
Weight loss: Chicken feet are low in calories and protein, which can help promote weight loss and muscle growth.
Chicken feet can be a healthy addition to your diet when consumed in moderation. However, it's important to note that chicken feet are high in cholesterol, so they should be consumed in moderation by individuals with high cholesterol levels or other health conditions that require them to limit their cholesterol intake.
Store and reheat
Storing and reheating the Chinese chicken feet recipe can be done in simple steps:
- Storage: After cooking the chicken feet, let them cool to room temperature before storing. You can keep the chicken feet in an airtight container and store them in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheating: You can steam or microwave the chicken feet when reheating. To cook, place the chicken feet in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 5-7 minutes. To microwave, place the chicken feet in a microwave-safe dish with a lid and microwave for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
It's important to note that chicken feet can have a gelatinous texture, which can become even more pronounced after refrigeration. Some people may find this texture unpleasant, while others enjoy it. If you're unsure, try reheating a small portion first to see if you like the texture before reheating the entire batch.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading my post on this chicken feet dim sum style recipe! I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe. Happy cooking!
Chicken Feet Recipe - Chinese Dim Sum Style
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken feet
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 2 slices fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 Chinese star anise
- 1-2 bay leaves
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce divided
- 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mix with two tablespoons of water to make the slurry
- salt to taste
- chopped green onions and red chili pepper for garnish optional
Instructions
- Boil: The first thing is to clean and prepare the chicken feet by trimming the nails and removing dirt or debris. In a pot, bring a pot of water to a boil. (enough water to cover the chicken feet) Add the chicken feet, green onion, ginger, Chinese Shaoxing wine, and blanch for 10 minutes. Drain the water and pat the chicken feet dry with a paper towel. Set aside.
- Deep frying: Heat the vegetable oil over medium heat in a wok or large pan. Deep fry the dried chicken feet until they turn golden brown, about 6 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken feet with a slotted spoon.
- Soak: Soak the deep-fried chicken feet in hot water for one hour or until the surface of the chicken feet puffs up, getting the "wrinkled look."
- Boil again: In a large pot, add cold water, cinnamon stick, star anise, bay leaves, ginger, minced garlic, and fried chicken feet. Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat, and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 40 minutes. Discard everything but the chicken feet.
- Mix the sauce in coat the soaked chicken feet with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce, mix well, and arrange it into the steamer for the next step.
- Mix the corn starch and water in a small bowl until well combined to make a slurry. Add the red chili pepper and stir until fragrant. (You can skip this step for something other than spicy flavor). Pour in slurry and light soy sauce, and continue to stir fry until the sauce has thickened even more. Pour this sauce over top of the chicken feet.
- Steam: Steam 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped green onions and red chili slices. Your Chinese chicken feet dim sum style is now ready to be served! Enjoy!
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