Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Chicken Feet


in a search to build a better stock we have recently turned to chicken feet. here is a picture of a small amount of the 20#'s that i roasted today. they contain an enormous amount of gelatin that when done correctly can give a sauce or soup the lip smacking taste that we all crave. i rinsed them, then roasted these for about an hour at close to 400 degrees, then set them in a large stockpot covered with water. i brought them to a simmer, reduced the heat to where the stock was barely trembling, then let them go for about 5-7 hrs, skimming as needed. drained and refrigerated overnight (separates the fat) then slowly reduced tomorrow. i have a few dishes that have a natural reduction sauce so i will take almost five gallons of good chicken feet stock and reduce it to less than one gallon. tricky as if you let it come to a rolling boil the impurities, and fat in the stock will emulsify itself into the stock and leave you with a horribly greasy final product. in parts of Mexico you see kids walking the streets nibbling on the roasted necks and feet of recently harvested chickens. next time your looking to make a mean chicken stock ask your butcher for feet, they are cheap and will give you the depth of flavor that you just cant get with just a ribcage carcass.

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