Chinese dim sum style braised chicken feet. This is Elaine’s favorite chicken feet recipe.
Chicken feet, though sounds weird for some of your guys, but it is really one of the best parts of chicken. There are many yummy snacks or side dishes made from chicken feet and dim sum style chicken feet and pickled chicken feet from Sichuan cuisine should be the most famous ones.
The Chinese name of this dish is tiger skin chicken feet(虎皮凤爪), and there is a similar dish named as tiger skin green peppers. Tiger skin is named because of the wrinkles on the surface.
The making process is relatively complex. We need at least four steps: boiling-deep frying- soaking- braising or steaming. No matter how complex the dish is, there is a big group of fan. Of course, they are available at the dim sum restaurant. I have tested the recipe three times but cannot get the texture enough satisfying, but the tastes are really wonderful. So I decide to post it on the blog just for home cooking reference.
Cut the claws off and any dirty part on the chicken feet. And then cut the main large bone off and divide the chicken palm into two parts as shown in picture 1.
Then bring enough water to a boiling in a large pot, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar (to avoid breaking of the skin) and 1/2 teaspoon of rice vinegar (to avoid darkened color). Cook the chicken feet for around 2 minutes. Transfer out and drain completely as shown in picture 2.
Add around 1 tablespoon light soy sauce to marinate for around 30 minutes in picture 3.
Then in a deep-pan or wok, add one third full with oil and heat over medium heat to around 180 degree C. Add chicken feet to fry until golden and dry as shown in picture 4.
When the chicken feet are deep-fried well. Transfer them to cold water to soak for around 3 to 4 hours or overnight for the wrinkles. If you do not care about the texture that much, just soak them for 1 hour .
Prepare the sauce and braise. This dish is often steamed in restaurants with soaked peanuts. Braised version consume less time, that’s the reason I choose to braise the feet.
Other dim sum recipes
- steamed sausage buns
- Lo Mai Gai (steamed sticky rice in lotus leaf)
- Steamed Ribs with fermented black beans
- Water chestnut cake
- Hong kong style egg tart
- Custard bun-milk yolk buns (奶黄包)
- dim sum style shrimp- har gow (虾饺)
- 20 chicken feet, cut the nails and any dirty parts
- Oil for deep frying
- Iced water for soaking the chicken feet
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 green onions, finely chopped
- 2 fresh Thai chili pepper, finely chopped(optional)
- 1 inch root ginger, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 star anise
- 1 cup warm water for braising
- Cut the claws off and any dirty part on the chicken feet. And then cut the main large bone off and divide the chicken palm into two parts. If you feel this part too difficult, you can skip it. But you will need more oil in the deep frying process.
- Bring enough water to a boiling in a large pot, add ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar (to avoid breaking of the skin) and ½ teaspoon of rice vinegar (to avoid darkened color). Cook the chicken feet for about 2 minutes. Transfer out and drain completely.
- Add 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and marinate for around 30 minutes.
- Fill one third of a wok or deep frier with oil and heat it over medium heat to 180 C. Add the chicken feet and fry them until golden and dry. If your chicken feet are not completely dried, the oil might sparkle. Remember to use a long chop stick to turn the chicken feet and cover the fryer with a lid. If you did not divide the chicken feet into two parts, then deep fry them in small batches and add
- slightly more oil. Just make sure that they are well deep-fried.
- Transfer the feet to a large bowl with iced water. Soak the chicken feet for 3 to 4 hours to achieve the tiger skin effect.
- To steam: transfer the chicken feet to a steamer. Prepare all the ingredients for the steaming sauce. Steam at first the chicken feet for 15 minutes and then evenly pour on them the steaming sauce. Continue to steam for another 30 to 40 minutes.
- To braise: mix all the ingredients used for steaming with another 1 cup of water. In a deep pan simmer the chicken feet with the sauce for 15 minutes and then turn up the fire to thicken the sauce.
- Serve hot or reheat it for later serving.
Oh, my!!! I actually never tried chicken feet and never wanted to try either, but your chicken feet actually look delicious. I think the sauce makes the difference. I will still need some courage to try though.
Hi Holly,
Yes, this one is not easy but really yummy. My husband ate them up without leaving me one just in 20 minutes as snack. He strongly ask to make this again next day. But I need some maybe courage and relax!
Try them they are delicious! Lots of bones but they are so wor
Haha, thanks for the feedback, Chris!! Lots of bones, I totally agree. However this cannot stop the foodies enjoying them. Happy cooking ahead in your kitchen.
a lot of fine bones yes, but moving the chicken feet around in your mouth and then spitting out the bones one by one adds to the delight of eating this dish. good exercise for french kissing.
Oops, I have not figure out that function. Thanks for the feedback Rody. I am thinking about the scene and it really keep me laughing for couple of minutes. Thanks.
Trick Is to fry till pretty crunchy looking and plumps when braising in sauce. You’ll probably think you ruined it by frying long but you’ll be surprised. I’ve been making this 30plus years
I actually tasted some at a dim sum restaurant once. I had expected something chewy and soft, but they were quite stiff and hard. Is that supposed to be like that?
Hi Susanne,
Braised version is much chewier and harder than steamed version. If you hope them to be softer, soak them for a long time for example overnight and use steaming instead of braising.
你好！
我爱中国菜，所以我觉得你blog是最好的！
谢谢分享！
I will follow your blog from now on, I miss Chinese food too much!
Greetings from Germany and keep up the awesome work, you’re also a great photographer!
Thanks Irina for stopping by and leaving me such a nice note. 也谢谢你的信任。 Wish you happy cooking ahead.
The first time I had Dim Sum I must have been 16 – I had chicken feet – I will never forget the experience. Thank you so much for conjuring up that magical moment!
I eat dim sum around 22 years old and now I really fall in love with those yummy small dessert. I can image your feeling for your first dim sum time.
Will have to try your recipe for chicken feet. I have tried pig trotters but not into them. But hey Im willing to try anything once. Regards Peter
Great peter, look forward to your good news. This has been one of the most popular dish in my family. Personally I do not make it frequently because of the complex steps.
I believe is better “To steam” than to stream.!!!!
IN ENGLISH:” 1. Cut the claws off and any dirty part on the chicken feet. And then cut the main large bone off
and divide the chicken palm into two parts. If you feel this part too difficult, you can skip it.
But you will need more oil in the deep frying process.
2. Bring enough water to a boiling in a large pot, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of sugar
(to avoid breaking of the skin) and 1/2 teaspoon of rice vinegar (to avoid darkened color). Cook the
chicken feet for about 2 minutes. Transfer out and drain completely.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and marinate for around 30 minutes.
4. Fill one third of a wok or deep frier with oil and heat it over medium heat to 180 C. Add the chicken
feet and fry them until golden and dry. If your chicken feet are not completely dried, the oil might
sparkle. Remember to use a long chop stick to turn the chicken feet and cover the fryer with a lid.
If you did not divide the chicken feet into two parts, then deep fry them in small batches and add
slightly more oil. Just make sure that they are well deep-fried.
5. Transfer the feet to a large bowl with iced water. Soak the chicken feet for 3 to 4 hours to achieve
the tiger skin effect.
6. To steam: transfer the chicken feet to a steamer. Prepare all the ingredients for the steaming sauce.
Steam at first the chicken feet for 15 minutes and then evenly pour on them the steaming sauce.
Continue to steam for another 30 to 40 minutes.
7. To braise: mix all the ingredients used for steaming with another 1 cup of water. In a deep pan
simmer the chicken feet with the sauce for 15 minutes and then turn up the fire to thicken the sauce.
8. Serve hot or reheat it for later serving.
Thanks Bruno. updated!
Don’t be a dick Bruno. That was completely uncalled for. I’m pretty sure that you were the only one that had a problem with the spelling and sentence structure. The rest of us are intelligent enough to understand exactly what she was conveying in the recipe. This is one of the best chicken foot dishes I’ve had in many years. Thank you for posting it Elaine.
Thanks Jonnie for the sweet words. They can really make me the year!! As I non-English speaker, it is quite hard for me to guarantee nicely written sentences, but I tried my best to make myself understood. I am so glad that you love the recipe. Happy cooking in the coming 2016.
Is the frying necessary (what’s the reason for it)? Can you skip to braising it?
Hi Per,
Frying and soaking, on one hand, can make the wrinkled skin. On the other hand, this process can help the chicken feet to absorb the sauce. But it is ok to skip the step and braise the chicken feet directly after blanching in pure water.
Your recipe was great! I loved it! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Elaine, you have done a superb job of sharing your Chicken Feet Dim Sum. Your explanation was simple and easy to understand. I made this recipe better by adding one sliced 3/4 ripe tomato and added a few drops of sesame oil. Also cut some cucumber slices and mama-mia …I nearly more bit my fingers instead of the chicken feet. The flesh came out very easily from the bones and I think that is because of the sudden shock for the chicken feet to fry hot and immediately soak a long time in iced water.. I am a Malaysian Indian and just love Chinese dishes. Thank you, Elaine.
This was so delicious thankyou for sharing your other recipes as well Elaine. I am afraid I have a squeamish family to feed so I did half and half chicken feet and chicken wings cut into pieces as your recipe shows. I know it was a cop out but I enjoyed the feet all by myself.
Hi Riff,
It is a nice idea to add some chicken wings. I understand that you guys do not like to eat chicken feet because of the bones. But I am so glad because at least you had a try and they taste great to you.
Happy cooking!
Forgive my ignorance (I’m only a beginner cook), but could you clarify as the end of 2. says to drain completely, then 3. says to marinate with a little Soy. What are we marinating the feet in? Water with Soy or Oil with Soy?
Hi Peter,
Firstly we need to drain the chicken feet after boiling in water (step 2) and then add soy sauce to marinate them before frying. We do not want water on the surface of the chicken foot because it may cause oil splash.
Hi.
I think that you cannot get the right texture is because you missed one important step which is to dry the chicken before deep frying. You can dry them in the oven at 100 degrees celcius for about 2 – 3 hours. Hope this is useful.
I’m so happy to have located your website.
I’m half chinese and my mother was born in Shanghai, China.
Unfortunately, I didn’t learn how to prepare all my favorite chinese dishes before my mother died.
The Sichuan food website let’s me pursue those wonderful authenic chinese cuisine I thought was
lost forever… And I love the videos.
Thank you.
Welcome board, Ming. It is quite nice to see your comment at the beginning of the day. I have never thought to learn how to cook before leaving my hometown. But very soon, I feel, living outside, it is a must to learn how to cook hometown style dishes to help keep the memories. It is never too late to explore and trying. Happy cooking!