Homemade Methods for Making Pickled Chicken Feet: Preparation and Cooking Instructions

Pickled chicken feet originated in Chongqing and are a unique Han Chinese specialty snack, classified under Chongqing cuisine. They are well-known for their sour and spicy taste, resilient skin, and fragrant meat. Pickled chicken feet are enjoyed both at formal events and by ordinary people. This dish has the benefits of stimulating appetite and promoting blood circulation. The preparation process is quite meticulous to ensure that the spiciness of the pickled peppers infuses into the chicken feet. Authentic pickled chicken feet are full-bodied and white, with the bones and meat having a distinctive aroma when chewed, enhancing one's appetite significantly.

Method One for Homemade Pickled Chicken Feet

Pickling Tools: Large glass bowl or other large container

Ingredients: One pound of good-quality chicken feet, half a lemon, half an onion, three celery stalks, two bottles of wild chili peppers (also known as bird's eye chilies), fresh Sichuan pepper, cassia bark, star anise, white pepper powder, garlic, old ginger, other vegetables (such as carrots, leek segments, etc., any crunchy vegetables will do)

1. Slice the lemon and the onion, and bruise the celery stalks.
2. Bruise the old ginger and garlic cloves, wash and dry the Sichuan pepper, cassia bark, and star anise, and chop the wild chili peppers. Place these ingredients in the container.
3. Clean the chicken feet and boil them until just cooked (in Mianzhu Qingdao, they are cooked until relatively soft, deboned, but be careful not to overcook). After boiling, remove them from the pot and rinse with cold water. Cut each foot into two or three pieces and let them air-dry.
4. Place the dried chicken feet in the jar, covering them with the bruised lemon, onion, and celery.
5. Pour boiled water into a large bowl and let it cool. Add garlic, pickled red chili peppers, wild chili peppers, slices of old ginger, and Sichuan pepper.
6. Take an equal amount of old jar pickling liquid (enough to match the volume of the boiled water) and pour it into the water.
7. Place the dried chicken feet, along with the bruised lemon, onion, and celery, into a large glass bowl and soak for over 30 minutes.

Method Two for Homemade Pickled Chicken Feet

The difference between this method and the first one is that this one does not rely on old jar pickling liquid but uses saltwater for direct fermentation. Steps 1 through 3 are essentially the same as in Method One.

Pickling Tools: Glass pickling jar (a Chongqing-style pickling jar made of glass)

Ingredients: One pound of good-quality chicken feet, old jar pickling liquid, half a lemon, half an onion, three celery stalks, two bottles of wild chili peppers (or bird's eye chilies), fresh Sichuan pepper, cassia bark, star anise, white pepper powder, garlic, old ginger (best if pickled in a Chongqing pickling jar), other vegetables (such as carrots, leek segments, etc., any crunchy vegetables will do)

1. Slice the lemon and the onion, and bruise the celery stalks.
2. Bruise the old ginger and garlic cloves, wash and dry the Sichuan pepper, cassia bark, and star anise, and chop the wild chili peppers. Place these ingredients in the glass jar.
3. Clean the chicken feet and boil them until just cooked (in Mianzhu Qingdao, they are cooked until relatively soft, deboned, but be careful not to overcook). After boiling, remove them from the pot and rinse with cold water. Cut each foot into two or three pieces and let them air-dry.
4. Place the dried chicken feet in the jar, covering them with the bruised lemon, onion, and celery. Add salt and monosodium glutamate, cover the jar, and add water to the jar's rim to seal it. After one to two days, the pickled chicken feet can be retrieved and eaten.

Nowadays, there are various brands of packaged pickled chicken feet snacks available nationwide. It is recommended to choose brands that have been approved by national health authorities to avoid using potentially harmful chicken feet that may have been bleached with chemicals. Consumers should avoid unsafe generic brands for the sake of deliciousness. For flavor, the best ones are still those made in shops and homes, which tend to be more unique and fresh. Genuine pickled chicken feet usually have a slightly yellowish hue.

Method Three for Homemade Pickled Chicken Feet

Clean the chicken feet, trim off the nails, and cut them in half. Blanch them in boiling water to remove any fishy smell. Change the water, add slices of ginger and scallion, Shaoxing wine, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and an appropriate amount of salt. Boil the chicken feet, then simmer on medium-low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. For a crunchier texture, cook for 15 minutes; for a softer texture, cook for 20 minutes.

Prepare a large covered refrigerator container. Pour all the liquid from a bottle of pickled wild chili peppers into it (there is only a little bit), along with some of the pickled peppers (about 1/5 if you like it spicy). Add drinking water until the container is half full, then add white vinegar, sugar, salt, and cooking wine for seasoning.
The seasoning should be sufficient according to personal preference, whether you prefer a more sour or sweeter taste. However, it should be salty enough so that the flavors penetrate the chicken feet. Add some Sichuan pepper and a star anise, along with several slices of thick ginger, to help remove the fishy smell and enhance the taste.

After removing the chicken feet from the pot, immerse them in cold water to cool down thoroughly. Rinse them multiple times to remove any oil. Then place them in the prepared pickled chili pepper solution, ensuring they are fully submerged in the liquid. Cover the container and refrigerate. After soaking for two days, remove the pickled chili peppers!

Method Four for Homemade Pickled Chicken Feet

1. Clean the chicken feet and cut them in half. Boil them in a pot of boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, then cool them down.
2. Chop the garlic and chili peppers finely and set aside.
3. Pour boiled water into a wide-mouthed container and let it cool. Add the chopped garlic and chili peppers.
4. Take an equal amount of old jar pickling liquid (approximately the same volume as the boiled water) and pour it into the container with the boiled water, mixing well.
5. Add Sichuan pepper, white pepper powder, whole chili peppers, chili pepper water, and a small amount of monosodium glutamate and salt to the pickling liquid.
6. Place the cooled chicken feet in the pickling liquid and soak for 30 minutes (it's better to leave them longer for a stronger flavor).
7. Serve on a plate.

Cooking Tip:
If you don't have pickled chili pepper liquid, use a high-quality bottle of wild chili peppers. Chop them finely, place them in a bowl, and mix with the wild chili pepper water, salt, monosodium glutamate, and cool water to create a pickling solution.

Method Five for Homemade Pickled Chicken Feet

Main Ingredients: 500 grams of chicken feet, 5 to 10 pickled red chili peppers and bird's eye chilies, 10 to 15 garlic cloves, 1 piece of ginger, 5 grams of Sichuan pepper, 2 grams of white pepper powder.
Seasoning: 1 tablespoon of cooking wine, an appropriate amount of pickled chili pepper water, an appropriate amount of boiling water.

Preparation Steps: 1. Clean the chicken feet and cut them in half. Set aside the sliced ginger.
2. Boil the chicken feet in boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove them and drain the water.
3. Pour boiled water into a large bowl, let it cool, then add the garlic, pickled red chili peppers, slices of ginger, and Sichuan pepper.
4. Take an equal amount of old jar pickling liquid (the weight should match that of the boiled water) and