Chicken Feet, Carrot & Corn Soup

AI-generated illustration of chicken feet, carrot and corn soup.

Chicken Feet, Carrot & Corn Soup

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A light, sweet restaurant-style daily soup (lai tong) made with chicken feet, plenty of carrots and corn. The chicken feet, carrots, corn, salt and MSG come from my cooking notes. The 3.5 litres starting water, blanching and simmering method are a suggested reconstruction, not a confirmed record of the original cook.

Ingredients

▢ 500 g chicken feet
▢ 8 carrots chopped into chunks
▢ 1 corn cob cut into sections
▢ 3.5 litres water estimated starting quantity, plus hot water as needed
▢ Salt to taste
▢ MSG to taste

Method

Trim the chicken-feet nails with clean kitchen scissors. Put the feet in a pot, cover with water and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and discard this blanching water.
Return the feet to a clean pot with the carrots, corn and 3.5 litres fresh water. Bring to a boil, then skim away any foam.
Lower to a gentle simmer and partially cover. Cook continuously for 1½–2 hours, until the feet are tender and the carrots are soft. Avoid a vigorous boil for a clearer broth.
Check the water level occasionally and add hot water if it reduces too far. Aim for a light, savoury broth with carrot-and-corn sweetness rather than a concentrated stock.
Add salt and MSG gradually, tasting between additions. Serve hot. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow containers.

Notes

The 500 g chicken feet, 8 carrots, 1 corn cob, salt and MSG are confirmed ingredients. The 3.5 litres is an estimated starting-water quantity, not a remembered measurement; blanching and timing are suggested. The 1 litre mentioned in the cooking discussion was the amount drunk, not the batch yield. Final yield varies with pot size, lid position and evaporation. Restaurant Style describes the intended light daily-soup character, not a commercial batch size.