The body doesn’t lie. When I started eating a whole-foods, nose-to-tail diet, changing from the standard American diet, my body quietly rejoiced. Inflammation went down, mental clarity went up. The list of specific improvements is almost too long to recite. Persistent cold sores went into remission, but they remain a reminder to this day of stress imbalances in my own life. The amino acid lysine can resolve these quickly; gelatinous skin and bone broths are great real-food sources. For me, Chicken Feet with Ginger and Honey is an old favorite that serves well in these situations.
My maternal grandmother was one of fourteen and she often reminded that us healthy kids don’t get sick. Except that as a kid, I did get sick sometimes. Even still, my mom prided herself on us never missing a day of school. She always sent us to school saying we’d feel better after we got out of the house.
That said, I have some notable memories of being quite sick a few times while growing up, yet being asked to show up to my obligations regardless. Most of the time it was fine. But in a couple of cases, it did not go well.
I don’t blame my parents at all. Nine times out of 10, I really did feel better when I got out of the house. None of us could have known how things might turn on out these particular occasions.
To be sure, I was always in pursuit of health. I ran marathons in my early 20s and fastidiously followed health guidelines – from the food pyramid on the cereal box to the mainstream plant-based recommendations that dominate our culture.
Alas, my turning point was the realization that the same diet my late centenarian maternal grandmother followed – nose-to-tail and whole foods – was also the right path for me and my family. This was the realization I needed to ditch the mainstream rhetoric. This turning point revived my energy and truly began a path to the vibrant, radiant health I had been seeking.
Season the chicken feet with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, green onion, Sichuan peppercorn, star anise, sugar, and 4 cups of water. Bring it to simmer, cover and let it cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, the chicken feet should be ready to eat, rest it in the fridge for 1-2 hours or enjoy it right away!
After a lot of digging, I found a few old recipes. All recipes call for boiling the feet first, and then draining the boiling water. I think the point of this step is to get most of the extra protein and impurities to leave the feet and come to the surface.
Chicken Feet with Ginger and Honey
Fortunately, I now feel better than I ever could have imagined in my youth. But I am still human and the body doesn’t lie. I still have to be mindful to keep stress in balance.
Though I only get cold sores every few years now, I recently had one – and it came with a vengeance. And I had to revisit my own principles – the ways that I have learned to use food as medicine. I consumed all the bone broth in our home and made more every other day. And I scoured our freezer to make Chicken Feet with Ginger and Honey, sucking and gnawing all the skin and cartilage off the bones.
Of course, I would rather serve these as a regular treat, rather than as medicine. But we all enjoy them either way. I hope you do, too!
Processing Chicken Feet || Keep Your Feet || Using Chicken Feet for Stock
FAQ
How do you know when chicken feet are done cooking?
How long to boil chicken feet to peel?
Are boiled chicken feet good for you?
How long do you boil chicken feet?
So, when I’m ready to make broth I just grab 3-4 chicken feet from the freezer. I bring a pot of water to a boil. I fill it enough so that the feet will be covered when immersed. Once it’s boiling I put the feet in the water. Then I boil for 5 minutes.
How long do you boil feet?
I bring a pot of water to a boil. I fill it enough so that the feet will be covered when immersed. Once it’s boiling I put the feet in the water. Then I boil for 5 minutes. I know it looks like I put them in one at a time from the pot above, but for some reason I just took the picture after only putting one in.
How to cook chicken feet?
Cover the feet with about 1 inch of cold water and bring it to a simmer on the stove. Simmer the chicken feet for about 3 or 4 hours. Drain the stock into a storage container through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. Discard the aromatics and reserve the chicken feet.
How long does it take to cook chicken feet?
Cook until tender. Partially cover the pan and allow the chicken feet to cook until they feet tender. This should take 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Periodically check and stir the chicken feet as they cook in the braising broth. When ready, you should be able to easily pierce through the fleshy side and straight to the bone using a standard fork.