Dakbal (Korean-Style Chicken Feet)
Chicken feet are meant for people who like to strip meat to the bone. That’s the only reason I can think of why anyone would eat these. I’m definitely one of those people. You can find chicken feet at pretty much every Asian market for around $2lb. They still have the nails attached, so they need to be clipped. Take a chef’s knife and simply cut off the first digit. Not only are they great to eat as a spicy appetizer, they are great for making chicken stock. It is really important to wash and massage the chicken feet in either vodka, soju, or milk and coarse Korean salt. This will help rid the feet of any excess blood and other impurities. This step should not be skipped. After this process, the chicken feet need to be steamed for 1 hour. While they are steaming, prepare the sauce in a food processor. As soon as the feet are done, transfer to a bowl. Pour the sauce over the hot feet. Make sure that they are evenly coated. Cover and let cool completely. Let marinade for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. There are 3 options to finish cooking the chicken feet. They can either be grilled, broiled, or even pan fried. They will take about 4-5 minutes a side on a grill or in a broiler and about 10 minutes in a large oiled sauté pan over medium high heat. I think they are best grilled or broiled. I like to have a char on the feet. Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
Equipment
- steamer basket
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken feet nails clipped
- 2 tbsp coarse Korean salt
- 1/2 cup vodka, soju, or milk
Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2” ginger minced
- 1-10 Thai chilies finely chopped
- 2 tbsp gochugaru
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Garnish
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
- green onion chopped
Instructions
- Clip the nails and wash the chicken feet.
- Cover with vodka and coarse salt. Massage the feet with the vodka/salt mix for a minute. Let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse the feet.
- Line a steamer basket with parchment paper. Add the chicken feet.
- Steam for 1 hour.
- While the feet are steaming, add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor. Purée.
- In a large bowl, add the sauce to the hot chicken feet. Mix thoroughly. Cover and let completely cool. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Turn on your oven’s broiler. Place a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil. Line up the chicken feet. Broil for 4-5 minutes a side.
- Drizzle sesame oil over the chicken feet. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
