For years I’ve made my own stock but recently I’ve taken it to the next level. In a quest to use as much of the animal as I can I decided to learn how to incorporate chicken feet when making bone stock. Real chicken stock, like real cream, is thick and sits on a spoon. It’s full of easily digestible protein, calcium and collagen (hello anti-aging!) and melts like butter when it hits a warm pan. Broth and stock from the store is really just flavored water. This is real broth:
Chicken feet are readily available at many grocery stores around the country and I’ve started using them to add depth of flavor and valuable nutrients to my food. I’ll admit, I was intimidated and thoroughly disgusted the first time I did this but I’m so glad I’ve incorporated this into my cooking.
Before I continue, be warned the images below may be difficult to see.
Processing chicken feet is easy but a bit time consuming and totally worthwhile. Chicken feet at the grocery store are usually yellow and featherless. If you get them from local farmers the color range can be yellow, gray, black, white or even pinkish. They can be featherless, have a few feathers or be heavily feathered and have up to 5 toes so processing time will range depending upon what breed you have. Store bought feet are usually fairly clean but since I processed these myself and my birds are free range they are often dirty.
I usually use three feet along with leftover carcass from any chickens I’ve roasted to make broth. You can use more or less, you’ll figure out what works for you.
Here’s the process:
- Wash the feet with soap and hot water, scrubbing to sanitize as much as I can.
- Remove any leftover feathers.
- Blanche the feet in boiling water for a couple minutes – the toes will start to curl – remove the feet when they start to curl.
- Using a sharp knife, chop off the tips of the claws – the nails.
- Cut a slit into the skin down the leg.
6. Using your fingers, peel the top layer of skin off – sometimes it’s easiest to just remove the entire skin. The collagen will make your fingers feel silky.
Once this is done you’re ready to add the to the broth pot.
The resulting broth is gel-like, delicious and healthy. This is the kind of broth that gave chicken soup the reputation for being restorative way back when. Once you get past your initial apprehension over processing the chicken feet I promise you’ll never want to go back to the flavored water.