Chicken's Feet (凤爪 Feng Zhua) — Braised and Deep-Fried Dim Sum

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Feng zhua (凤爪, phoenix claws — the poetic Cantonese name for chicken feet) are one of the most time-consuming dim sum preparations and one of the most satisfying in textural complexity — the chicken feet are deep-fried until the skin puffs and blisters, then soaked in water to soften, then braised in a black bean and oyster sauce braise until the skin is pillowy-soft, gelatinous, and deeply seasoned. The collagen in the chicken feet dissolves partially during the long braising to produce the characteristic sticky, gelatinous quality — each foot clings slightly to the lips when eaten. The bones provide structure; the goal is to eat all the skin and soft tissue around each small joint while leaving the bones clean.

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