Feet, Anyone?

Chicken feet are exactly what they sound like: the feet of chicken. When detached from the chicken, chicken feet are considered a culinary delicacy in some regions of the world, most notably in China and South Africa. Chicken feet have also played a role in the cuisines of Eastern Europe and the American South, where people often come up with creative ways to use offal, ensuring that every part of the animal is utilized to its fullest potential. Chicken feet are but a series of small bones, tendons and skin. They do not have very much muscle, and they are also extremely high in collagen, so they tend to cook down into a gelatinous mass, with the tendons and skin adding a chewy texture. The high collagen, incidentally, makes chicken feet great for skin, hair, and nails, if consumed in large quantities.

Most recipes for chicken feet involve slowly stewing them to extract their flavor and to tenderize them. Consumers eat the feet whole, discarding the small bones along the way; learning to eat chicken feet can take some time, as it is difficult to eat them without accidentally swallowing the bones. Spitting out bones in a dainty fashion is also difficult to do, especially if you crack them in your teeth to extract the marrow first. Eeewwhhhh! Disgusting discussion so far... Bear with me...

In China, chicken feet are commonly on the menu at many dim sum restaurants as “phoenix talons,” and the menu may also include duck feet, web and all, of course. Chicken feet are also sold as street food, often deep fried in other parts of Asia. Many old-fashioned cooks swear by chicken feet as an ingredient in soup stock, arguing that the chicken feet increase the gelatin content, and make the stock richer and more flavorful. Obtaining chicken feet can be a challenge, depending on where you live. Here in my favorite Publix supermarket, they are available. Oh so yucky and they gross me out, totally! Definitely not my kind of food.