How to Make Vietnamese Steamed Chicken Feet with Scallions

Preparing the Ingredients

Trim the roots off the scallions, wash them, and cut them in half. Use the white parts for steaming the chicken feet and store the green parts in the fridge for future use.

Peel off the tough outer layers of the lemongrass and save them for boiling the chicken feet later. Wash the lemongrass, and either smash and cut it into sections or shred it as desired.

Wash the ginger (leave the skin on) and smash it.

Trim the nails off the chicken feet, clean them, and place them in a bowl. Rub them thoroughly with coarse salt and ginger wine to clean and remove any odors, then rinse again.

Rinse the herbs and vegetables, soak them in salt water, and let them drain.

Blanching the Chicken Feet

Fill a pot with water and add the outer lemongrass layers and ginger. Bring to a boil. If you'd like the chicken feet to have a yellow tint, you can add a small amount of turmeric powder at this stage. Adjust the amount depending on how light or dark you want the color.

Once the water is boiling, add the chicken feet to blanch.

Blanch for about 1 minute, then remove the chicken feet. Rinse them under cold water to cool and firm them up, ensuring they are not slimy. Let them drain.

At this stage, you can season the chicken feet with 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder and some pepper if you prefer a stronger flavor. If you'd rather dip them in a rich sauce later, there's no need to season now.

Steaming the Chicken Feet

Fill a pot with water, add ginger and lemongrass, and place a steamer basket on top. The water level should be about halfway up to the bottom of the steamer basket.

Once the water starts boiling, arrange the chicken feet in the steamer and lay scallions on top and around the sides. You can reserve some scallions to add later for extra color and crunch.

Cover the pot and steam the chicken feet over medium heat.

Steam the chicken feet for about 5-6 minutes until cooked through. Avoid oversteaming, as the skin can crack.

After 5-6 minutes, remove from heat. If you prefer to eat them hot, serve immediately.

If you like your chicken feet cool and crunchy, after steaming, transfer them to a bowl of ice water (you can add a bit of lime juice if you'd like the chicken feet to stay bright). Rub the feet to remove excess fat, and once they've cooled, drain well. You can refrigerate them if you're not eating them right away.

How to make the dipping sauce:

• 3.5 teaspoons of seasoning powder
• 1 teaspoon of ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons of chili sauce
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 6 teaspoons of condensed milk
• 3 tablespoons of lime juice
• 6 lime leaves and 1 chopped chili

This dipping sauce has a perfect balance of salty, sweet, tangy, and spicy flavors, with a nice consistency and an appealing color. Alternatively, you can simply mix seasoning powder, ground pepper, chili, and lime juice for a quicker sauce.