Can’t Believe I Live To Cook Chicken Feet!

I can’t believe that I live to cook chicken feet. Of course, I could never imagine myself to be this domesticated. But, cooking chicken feet will be another feather in my cap. It’s C H I C K E N F E E T, got it?! 

Well, the things a daughter would do for her mum, an attempt at braised chicken feet with mushroom (冬菇焖鸡脚), one of mum’s favorite dishes. Not only that, this is one of my many attempts to get mum to have more activities to fill up her day.

It was kinda freaky cutting the tips off the chicken toes. I silently screamed inside my head when I was doing so. Who the #%^* created this dish?  It’s just pure evil *grin.

 Can you imagine someone cutting off your human toes after your death? Why would someone do that to a dead chicken? Sorry chicken, please forgive my sin. I am still grossed out as I type out my story.

Chicken feet is known for its gelatin, and it’s good for mum’s brittle bones. Yeah, I know it still doesn’t justify my crime. Please spare me from jail, as someone still need to look after the soon turning-70-year-old mum.*dramaqueenmode

 This dish is being prepared based on a recipe I stumbled upon, thanks to the wonder of the internet. I honestly do not know this blogger, but I thought that it’s such a meaningful blog to pass on his grandma’s recipes. Thanks, Raymond and granny: http://raymondskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/braised-chicken-feet-with-mushroom.html

 I added an additional step of boiling the chicken feet, before frying, to get rid of scums. Eeeew … it smells nasty. I hope I don’t dream about chicken feet tonight.

And then the frying step begun … The splattering oil wasn’t a joke, people. You have to take it seriously, as your life depends on it. Due to lack of appropriate cooking pot, I used our normal frying pan. Thank god I was prepared with a lid .. It was a half-hearted efforts, so the chicken feet turned out pretty bad. One-sided fried and a bit burn. Thank god I spared my mum from this process.

The braising process started around 4.30pm, with constant checking for liquid level and refining taste every now and then. A little bit more of black soya sauce, oyster sauce, soya sauce and white pepper powder. Balancing of taste is a skill that needs to be mastered for this dish.

Mum added fish maw, and I let her do what she likes. I added two eggs. My first time boiling hard-boiled eggs!

After one and a half hours of braising, finally, it’s ready. Thanks to mum for QC check. I think she enjoyed this dish, at least that’s what she told me.

So, the next time a restaurant charges you a bomb for this dish, don’t complain. Raw chicken feet ingredient is cheap, but it ain’t easy cooking it. But of course, I am just an amateur cook.

  I bought ours from Aeon, RM 2.30 for around 8-10 pieces. If I am not wrong, they only have this during weekends. I checked few times before during weekdays, but never seemed to find it.