Chicken Feet

If you find a butcher who does his own shechita (slaughtering) he will have chicken feet. Before buying, be sure to inquire if the feet have already been soaked and salted; if not, you will have to do that part at home. These days the feet are usually discarded, so they may not have been koshered together with the rest of the bird.

My mother grew up in Europe (where nothing was thrown away) so 'fiselach' were always included in our chicken soup. They add a lot of strength to the broth. When I am lucky enough to find them, I buy a large quantity, clean well (be sure to clip off the claws,) kasher them if necessary, then wrap in small packages (4-6 feet each) and freeze for future soups.

When my son was an infant his constitution was weak. An elderly Rabbi I consulted advised me to buy a large quantity of chicken feet and cook them up into a soup... then strain the broth and feed it to my son in his baby bottle. He said it would give him strength. I believe it did.

Posted by Ruth Baks