Chicken Feet

also called fung zao · fung jao · 鳳爪 · 豉汁蒸鳳爪 · phoenix claws · braised chicken feet · chicken paws

The table

2 lb(900 g; nails clipped off)chicken feetblanch 5 min, dry them right throughfry 350°F (175°C) 5 min, until the skin blisterssoak in ice water 1 hr, until they plump and wrinklesimmer in the black bean sauce 1 hrsteam 30 min, until the sauce clings
2 TbsShaoxing wine
4 slices(coin-sized)fresh ginger
6 cups(1.4 L; at 350°F/175°C)peanut oil
8 cups(1.9 L)iced water
2 Tbs(rinsed and lightly mashed)fermented black beans
4 cloves(minced)garlic
2 Tbsoyster sauce
1 Tbslight soy sauce
1 TbsShaoxing wine
1 Tbssugar
2 podsstar anise
2dried red chiles
2 cups(475 mL)water
2(sliced)scallions
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.18 things to get out.

Pans and tools

1blanch 5 min, dry them right through

2fry 350°F (175°C) 5 min, until the skin blisters

goes in with what step 1 made

3soak in ice water 1 hr, until they plump and wrinkle

goes in with what step 2 made

4simmer in the black bean sauce 1 hr

goes in with what step 3 made

5steam 30 min, until the sauce clings

goes in with what step 4 made

Cooking it

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
2 hr 40 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
10 minthe rest you can walk away from

5 min of that is counted as needing you only because the step never said otherwise. The recipe itself says 4 hr.

  1. blanch 5 min, dry them right through

    5 minneeds you(assumed)from the start

  2. fry 350°F (175°C) 5 min, until the skin blisters

    5 minneeds you5 min in

  3. soak in ice water 1 hr, until they plump and wrinkle

    1 hrwalk away10 min in

  4. simmer in the black bean sauce 1 hr

    1 hrwalk away1 hr 10 min in

  5. steam 30 min, until the sauce clings

    30 minwalk away2 hr 10 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them. The minutes are always the recipe’s own; a dashed edge means we worked out from the step whether you have to be there, and a dotted one means nothing was said, so we assumed you are standing over it.

You'll need bowl · pot · steamer

See how it is written
>> title: Chicken Feet
>> category: Stews & Braises
>> tags: chicken, chinese, black bean, deep-fry, steamed
>> counters: Dim Sum Counter
>> aka: fung zao, fung jao, 鳳爪, 豉汁蒸鳳爪, phoenix claws, braised chicken feet, chicken paws
>> servings: 4
>> time: 4 hr
>> step.1: blanch 5 min, dry them right through
>> step.2: fry 350°F (175°C) 5 min, until the skin blisters
>> step.3: soak in ice water 1 hr, until they plump and wrinkle
>> step.4: simmer in the black bean sauce 1 hr
>> step.5: steam 30 min, until the sauce clings

Blanch @chicken feet{2%lb}(900 g; nails clipped off) in a #pot{} of boiling water with @Shaoxing wine{2%Tbs} and @fresh ginger{4%slices}(coin-sized) for ~blanch{5%min}, then drain them and dry them right through with a cloth. Water left on them spits in the oil.

Fry @&(~1)feet{} in @peanut oil{6%cups}(1.4 L; at 350°F/175°C) in a deep #pot{}, a handful at a time and with the lid to hand, for ~fry{5%min}, until the skin has gone gold and puffed away from the bone.

Soak @&(~1)fried feet{} in @iced water{8%cups}(1.9 L) for ~soak{1%hr}. This is the step that makes them plump and wrinkled; feet braised straight out of the fryer stay tight and there is nothing to eat on them.

Simmer @&(~1)feet{} with @fermented black beans{2%Tbs}(rinsed and lightly mashed), @garlic{4%cloves}(minced), @oyster sauce{2%Tbs}, @light soy sauce{1%Tbs}, @Shaoxing wine{1%Tbs}, @sugar{1%Tbs}, @star anise{2%pods}, @dried red chiles{2} and @water{2%cups}(475 mL) in a #pot{} for ~simmer{1%hr}, until a bone pulls free without a fight.

Steam @&(~1)feet{} in their sauce in a #bowl{} set inside a #steamer{}, scattered with @scallions{2}(sliced), for ~steam{30%min}. They arrive at the table in the same bowl they were steamed in.