We just finished butchering 26 chickens - I remember reading somewhere that the feet make excellent chicken broth...so, being the type to not let any stone lie unturned (or some other mangled turn of phrase), I scrubbed the leftover feet and now have them in a pot with onions skins and celery ends (why waste anything!). I intend to simmer them the afternoon and see what I end up with. Anyone else heard of such a thing? Or have I taken this "waste not, want not" attitude to a new low???

-- Judi (ddecaro@snet.net), June 08, 2000

Answers

Ive heard of that but never been able to take advantage of it. You see, after my St Bernards run off with the feet, I never see the feet again!

-- William in WI (thetoebes@webtv.net), June 08, 2000.

I know somebody that canned the feet with the chicken. You can cook them, but I cab't tell you how.

-- Cindy (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), June 08, 2000.

I've heard of the same thing too, but I've been too 'chicken' to try it - afraid to admit 'de-feet' I guess. :-) A friend of ours once asked us for some feet, saying that they make the best broth. She was mildly embarrassed when my hubby showed up at a meeting with 20 feet in a plastic bag for her. Keep us posted on how it turns out, maybe I'll be brave enough to try it.

-- Candy (ecsloma@pronetisp.net), June 08, 2000.

What is a vegetarain doing, knowing what to do with chicken feet? ha! My mother always boiled them---then made home made noodles! Judi--I think ya are on a great start for home made chicken & noodles!!! Let us know! Sonda in Ks.

-- Sonda (sgbruce@birch.net), June 08, 2000.

I have made chicken sooup with the feet before. Here is how to prepare them: singe the little feathers off over an open flame. Scrub in lukewarm water with a stiff brush. Place the feet in scalding hot water for 15 minutes, and then peel away all the tough yellow skin. They are now ready to use. I also like to cut the toenails off, in case there is any manure or dirt in them.

-- Rebekah (daniel1@transport.com), June 08, 2000.

You are supposed to throw the heads in the kettle, too, for a truly delicious chicken broth. I don't allow anyone to peek into the kettle. Around here, you can buy bags of frozen chicken feet at the market.

When I filet fish, I put ALL extra parts in the kettle for fish chowder. My little kids call it Little Bear's Birthday Fish Soup.

We are the only country in the world where we have so much that we can afford to throw away anything that might be considered "icky." Laura

-- Laura (gsend@hotmail.com), June 08, 2000.

Heeere kitty, kitty, kitty!

-- Polly (tigger@moultrie.com), June 08, 2000.

There is a book in the school library about this, called (I think) Watch Out For Chicken Feet in Your Soup, by Tommy DePaola. It is about a young booy, who introduces his Italian grandma to his friend. He warns him of her hugs and kisses and the chicken feet; He is a bit ashamed of her, but his friend and the grandma hit it off right away, and it has a sweet ending. Check it out at the library!

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), June 09, 2000.

Rebekah's got it right. I don't find I need 15 minutes - if the water's at a rolling boil, five or seven minutes seems enough; and you can generally pop the claws off (since the feet are already a little cooked) while you're skinning them. You can also take the outer horny layer off the spurs at the same time. I use them for soup too, but one of my favourite Chinese yum cha dishes is "chickens paws" (prepare as above, season to taste, then coat in batter and fry).

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), June 09, 2000.

My mother and uncles used to play with 'em as kids!! Said they used to pull the tendons and make 'em move, and grab at each other...

-- Eric in TN (ems@nac.net), June 09, 2000.

Sometimes something that sounds so yukky can actually be good. I know a lot of Oriental folks use the chicken feet. Haven't gotten that adventurous, myself. Remember when I was young, some Hispanic kids from the neighborhood came around selling tamales, as their family had just butchered a hog. They were wonderful, and when I asked at school what the meat was, they told me HOG'S HEAD. I nearly upchucked, but my mom told me she had eaten the meat from head a lot as a child, and it was no different from any other meat. She loved pickled pig's feet, also. Not my dish, but ok if you like 'em. It's true that we waste a lot in this country. Jan

-- Jan in Colorado (Janice12@aol.com), June 09, 2000.

I've seen on TV where they were using chicken feet sort of like forks. As I recall, they weren't skinned, and apparently not cleaned either because someone got sick. Gerbil

-- Gerbil (ima_gerbil@hotmail.com), June 11, 2000.

ok, iguess that you can eat them if you want, but we have always ziploc bagged them in the freezer and given them as treats for the dogs on hot summer days. there's nothing quite like a footsickle.... they will enjoy it..

john

-- john houser (farmrjon@juno.com), June 13, 2000.

Wow! I haven't thought of chicken feet as a menu item in years.... I remember my grandmother eating them and remarking that they were the best part of the chicken, but none of us kids was willing to give them a try.... In later years, I recall my Dad telling me that his favorite part of the chicken was the neck, and once I tried it, I agreed that it was something I was going to have to fight him for! When I grew up and moved away from home, I'd buy packages of them at the market and bake a bunch of them up as a meal (for myself, mostly, because my husband and kids wouldn't touch them). Now I can't find a butcher in my area (yuppieville) that stocks them, but my Dad routinely surprises me with dozens of meal-sized packages of necks as a Christmas gift. It's my favorite gift! Judi, please let us know how your soup stock turns out. Maybe chicken feet will have to be put on my list of personal favorites too!

-- punky (mayfaire@netzero.net), June 15, 2000.

Several years ago I had the privlidge of taking care of a sweet wonderful 95 years yound lady from sweden. When she disvcovered that we were butchering chickens her eyes lit up and sparkled. She asked what we did with the feet, yuck I said, she swore that they were the best part of the chicken, sooo my husband and I saved them for her, she washed them up and placed them in boiling water for about 4-5 minutes and the yellow skin and toenails came off easily. Then she boiled them until tender. She then peeled the meat off. The stock was a very rich stock, she made soup using some of the meat and broth, some of the broth she froze for later use, she also froze the meat in broth. Took alot of convincing to get us to try it but was really really good. Guess if you don't know what it is before you try it theres's no reason to say yuck!! Sure do miss that little (4'8") lady.

-- Lorraine (gamalnj@bossig.com), July 15, 2000.

My mom always put them in the pot with the chicken when she made soup. As a kid, when the soup was ready, the feet were the first thing I ate.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), July 16, 2000.

MY GRANDMOTHER, MOM AND AUNT EVA COOKED THE FEET DOWN FOR STOCK. THEY RAISED CHICKENS AND KILLED 5 0R MORE AT A TIME. THE STOCK TASTED GGREAT. WE LIVED IN THE UPPER PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN AT THAT TIME. OUR FAMILY FARM IS STILL THERE I KNOW THE CHINESE HERE IN UPSTATE NEW YORK HAVE ASKED US FOR OUR CHICKENS FEET. WE ALSO HAVE A SMALL FAMILY FARM.

-- MRS PRISCILLA WILLIAMS (GP83196@AOL.COM), July 17, 2000.