Stewed Chicken Feet 焖鸡脚

Stewed Chicken Feet 焖鸡脚

Recipe source :  Adapted from Amy Beh

This hearty stew is popular and well received in our family. The elders in my family love the chicken feet as they believe it strengthens the cartilage around their knees and joints, while black fungus is good for clearing clogged arteries. 

I won't dispute the goodness of the chicken feet and the black fungus but for this dish, I strongly go for its great taste! The combination of those herbs and spices boiled together created a truly wonderful aroma and flavour to the stew. 

I used both the fresh chicken feet and some pre-fried ones which can be bought from the wet market. This is to cater for the diverging taste preferences of the family members. Some like the puffed up skin of the chicken feet which had been deep-fried in hot oil.

Ingredients

10 pieces fresh chicken feet
10 pieces fried chicken feet
15 dried chillies, halved and seeded
50g black fungus, soaked and cut into pieces
40g ginger, smashed
2 whole garlic bulbs
3 pieces liquorice ( kam choe )
4 cm cinnamon
2 star anise
3/4 tsp white peppercorns, smashed
1 small piece of dried tangerine peel
2 litres water

Seasoning

2 Chinese soup spoon oyster sauce
2 Chinese soup spoon dark soy sauce
1 Chinese soup spoon soy sauce
1 tsp salt, or to taste

Thickening 

Combine 1 tbsp cornflour with 1 tbsp water

The herbs and spices :

Top left : star anise. Top middle : dried tangerine peel. Top right :  white peppercorns

Bottom left :  liquorice ( kam choe ). Bottom right : cinnamon bark

Dried chillies

Method

1.  Blanch chicken feet in boiling water for 10 seconds then dish up. Rinse the chicken feet and drain well.
2.  Bring 2 litres of water to a boil in a large pot. 
3.  Put in both types of chicken feet and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil again. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the chicken feet are tender.
4.  Thicken the sauce with thickening before dishing out to serve.