Bob Pastorio wrote:
>
> Katra wrote:
>
> >
> > "Warren H. Prince" wrote:
> >
> >>In a recent thread, several of you mentioned using chicken feet in
> >>chicken stock. I was wondering how you prep the feet before use.
> >>Obviously, they have to be cleaned well, but I remember someone telling
> >>me they have to be peeled or skinned before use. Seems to me that
> >>peeling them would be more work than they're worth. Also, what ratio of
> >>bones (backs/necks/breast trimmings) to feet would you use? Just throw
> >>a few in a pot or a pound of feet to say five pounds of assorted bones?
> >
> >
> >
> > Feet purchased from the store are already peeled and cleaned, and ready
> > for cooking. :-)
> >
> > If you have "fresh" feet, (and I do if I am processing my own birds),
> > you need to peel them first.
> >
> > Generally, when I am plucking a bird, it needs to be scalded, so I just
> > scald the feet at the same time by leaving them ON the carcass. Scalding
> > is similar to blanching. It makes the feathers come out _much_ easier.
>
> But what a smell, huh? Not much captures nasal passages like a freshly
> killed chicken being raised and lowered into boiling water.
>
> My grandmother raised chickens and it was my job to pluck them. One
> time she asked my grandfather to kill and clean a chicken. He didn't
> want to and said so. She insisted and insisted again. So he finally
> did. He took his shotgun out to the chicken yard and shot one.
> Literally blew its head off. Cut it open from neck to tail and let
> everything fall out. Cut the neck more cleanly and cut off the feet.
> Then to finish elegantly, he simply skinned it and discarded skin,
> feathers and all. He brought this sorry-looking chicken back in and
> announced that he would be happy to kill and clean chickens, and this
> is how they would be done. It continued to be my job to pluck the
> chickens.
>

ROFL!

I preferred killing them than cleaning them. I would take the chicken head
between thumb and index fingers, head towards the palm, and give one smart
shake/twist. Did it to chickens and Guinea hens. I tried to do it to a turkey
once... only once... nasty, mean tempered birds. Spurs hurt even in hens.