Dim sum chicken feet get their wrinkled skin from frying and soaking, then tenderness from braising. Final steaming warms the sauce-coated portions. This is a multi-stage dish with a serious hot-oil hazard, not a quick chicken stir-fry.
Ingredients and equipment
This preparation follows CiCi Li’s chicken feet recipe. For 2 lb trimmed chicken feet, use 2 tablespoons each maltose and rice vinegar for blanching. Braising ingredients: 1 tablespoon oil, 3 ginger slices, 2 scallion whites, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon each fermented black beans and doubanjiang, 4 cups water, 2 tablespoons light soy, 1 tablespoon dark soy, 2 tablespoons each oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine, and 2 bay leaves.
Buy cleaned feet and remove any remaining nails with kitchen shears. Keep raw-poultry tools separate. Choose a deep frying pot with ample headroom, oil thermometer, long tongs and splatter protection. Follow the pot or fryer manufacturer’s oil capacity, not an arbitrary fill level; the source’s 8 cups is not suitable for every vessel.
Blanch, dry, fry and soak
- Blanch with maltose and vinegar for 5 minutes after boiling, then drain and dry thoroughly.
- Fry small batches at the source’s 350°F (177°C), approximately 3 minutes, until golden. Keep water away from the oil.
- Lift out, drain clear of the oil, and transfer carefully to ice water. Soak for 1 hour, then drain.
Do not begin frying if the feet remain wet or you cannot control splashing. Keep the soaking bowl away from the fryer so water cannot drip into the pot. Never pour water onto burning oil. If equipment or confidence is insufficient, choose a braised-only preparation and accept that it will not have the same fried-and-soaked skin texture.
Braise, chill safely if holding, and steam to serve
Cook aromatics and sugar in the measured oil, add black beans and doubanjiang, then feet and remaining braising ingredients. Simmer covered for the source’s 45 minutes; check tenderness and reduce sauce. Steam sauce-coated portions for about 10 minutes to serve.
Use 165°F (74°C) for poultry and reheated leftovers under the official temperature guidance. Where possible, probe thick soft tissue without touching bone. Tender skin is a separate quality check, not a substitute for temperature.
This guide does not copy the source’s long off-heat sauce soak. If holding for later, divide into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly rather than leaving a large warm pot on the counter. USDA leftovers guidance sets a 2-hour limit, shortened to 1 hour above 90°F (32°C).
Serving and substitutions
Warn diners about the small bones. Check soy, wheat and shellfish in the sauces. Do not assume bottled black-bean sauce is identical to the measured fermented beans: it may already contain salt, sugar and oil.
For other dim sum dishes, try siu mai or steamed spare ribs.
Illustration disclosure: accompanying AI-generated illustrations depict stages, not a YueCuisine kitchen test or proof of safe frying technique.