Spicy Braised Chicken Feet with Savory Mustard Greens
Get ready to discover one of the most addictively delicious and textural dishes you’ll ever make! This recipe transforms humble chicken feet into a fall-off-the-bone tender, spicy, and savory delicacy. If you’ve ever been curious about chicken feet, a popular ingredient in many cuisines loved for its gelatinous texture and ability to soak up flavor, this is the perfect gateway recipe. The process is surprisingly simple, combining a quick stir-fry to build flavor with a final braise that does all the hard work for you. In about an hour, you’ll be rewarded with a deeply flavorful, moderately spicy dish where the rich, savory notes of the sauce are perfectly balanced by the unique, tangy taste of preserved mustard greens. It’s an easy-to-master recipe that will have you feeling like a culinary pro. To get started, you’ll need a handful of key ingredients that create this dish’s signature taste. Don’t worry if some items seem unfamiliar; they are easily found in most Asian markets or online, and I’ve included some handy substitution suggestions. For about 2-4 servings: Chicken Feet: 1 lb (about 500g) Dried Preserved Mustard Greens (Mei Gan Cai): ½ cup, dry Garlic: 4-5 cloves, minced Scallions: 2, finely chopped for garnish Peanut Oil: 2 tablespoons (or any neutral cooking oil like canola or vegetable oil) Light Soy Sauce: 2 tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce: 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce: 1 tablespoon Chopped Salted Chili Paste (Duo Jiao): 1-2 tablespoons, adjust to your spice preference A Note on Ingredients: Dried Preserved Mustard Greens (Mei Gan Cai): This is the star ingredient alongside the chicken feet. It has a unique, deeply savory, slightly sweet, and tangy flavor that is hard to replicate. You can find it in vacuum-sealed packages at any Asian grocery store. If you absolutely cannot find it, you could try…