Chicken Feet with Sand Ginger Sauce
Spicy-Sweet Chicken Feet
Sand ginger is most common in southern China and has a very unique and distinct flavor. Prepare the sand ginger by drying it out and grinding it into a powder, and it is ready to be enjoyed with a Chinese classic – chicken feet. The sand ginger nicely complements the natural flavor of the chicken feet to create a delicious side dish that also promotes healthy spleen function.
Ingredients
- 1 pound (500 grams) chicken feet
Seasonings
- 2 ½ ounces (70 grams) sand ginger powder
- 3 stalks green onions
- 1 tablespoon (5 grams) fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon (6 grams) salt
- sesame oil
to taste
Cooking Directions
Preparations
- Wash and cut up the fresh ginger and green onions. Wash and chop the chicken feet.
How to cook the chicken feet
- Add water to a pot and bring to boil under high heat. Pour in the fresh ginger, green onions, and chicken feet. When the water returns to boil, turn to low heat and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the chicken feet sit for another 20 minutes before scooping out and allowing to drip dry. Then soak in cold water.
- Pour 4 cups of water into a pot, then add 2 ounces (60 grams) of sand ginger, 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of salt, and 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then add in the chicken feet. Bring to boil once again before turning off the heat and allowing the chicken feet to soak for 2~3 minutes. Remove the chicken feet from the pot and arrange on a serving dish, sprinkling sesame oil on top as desired.
- Tip: Don’t let the chicken feet soak for long during this step, or they will become too salty.
How to make sand ginger sauce
- Mix the remaining 1/2 ounce (10 grams) of sand ginger with a sprinkle of salt and sesame oil to make a dipping sauce for the chicken feet.
Sand Ginger and Cantonese Cuisine
Although all gingers are spicy to some extent, sand ginger is clearly the hottest of the bunch. Bronze in color and sweet-smelling, its flavor is a combination of sweet and spicy. Its unique coloring and form is due entirely to its growth on dark sandy lands. This type of soil is highly organic and allows healthy flow of water, and its high oxygen content allows the sand ginger to grow thick and strong. The darkest bronze colored sand ginger can only be grown in such soils, with a luster that won’t wilt in the sun, thin skin and thick tender meat.
Although too much sand ginger can be overbearing, the unlikely combinations of chicken, fish, or especially chicken feet with sand ginger can be quite delicious. And better yet, this famous Cantonese snack not only has a unique and delicious flavor, but also can help relieve cold symptoms.