The body doesn’t lie. When I started eating a whole-foods, nose-to-tail diet, changing from the standard American diet, my body quietly rejoiced. Inflammation went down, mental clarity went up. The list of specific improvements is almost too long to recite. Persistent cold sores went into remission, but they remain a reminder to this day of stress imbalances in my own life. The amino acid lysine can resolve these quickly; gelatinous skin and bone broths are great real-food sources. For me, Chicken Feet with Ginger and Honey is an old favorite that serves well in these situations.
No harm intended
My maternal grandmother was one of fourteen and she often reminded that us healthy kids don’t get sick. Except that as a kid, I did get sick sometimes. Even still, my mom prided herself on us never missing a day of school. She always sent us to school saying we’d feel better after we got out of the house.
That said, I have some notable memories of being quite sick a few times while growing up, yet being asked to show up to my obligations regardless. Most of the time it was fine. But in a couple of cases, it did not go well.
I don’t blame my parents at all. Nine times out of 10, I really did feel better when I got out of the house. None of us could have known how things might turn on out these particular occasions.
Pursuit
To be sure, I was always in pursuit of health. I ran marathons in my early 20s and fastidiously followed health guidelines – from the food pyramid on the cereal box to the mainstream plant-based recommendations that dominate our culture.
Alas, my turning point was the realization that the same diet my late centenarian maternal grandmother followed – nose-to-tail and whole foods – was also the right path for me and my family. This was the realization I needed to ditch the mainstream rhetoric. This turning point revived my energy and truly began a path to the vibrant, radiant health I had been seeking.
Chicken Feet with Ginger and Honey
Fortunately, I now feel better than I ever could have imagined in my youth. But I am still human and the body doesn’t lie. I still have to be mindful to keep stress in balance.
Though I only get cold sores every few years now, I recently had one – and it came with a vengeance. And I had to revisit my own principles – the ways that I have learned to use food as medicine. I consumed all the bone broth in our home and made more every other day. And I scoured our freezer to make Chicken Feet with Ginger and Honey, sucking and gnawing all the skin and cartilage off the bones.
Of course, I would rather serve these as a regular treat, rather than as medicine. But we all enjoy them either way. I hope you do, too!
Chicken Feet with Ginger and Honey
Notes
Variation: Boil the chicken feet in water for up to 90 minutes. Remove chicken feet and reserve for up to several days. Reserve remaining broth for other uses. In this variation, I add the lard to the pan first, brown the chicken feet slightly to start, then add 1 cup reserved broth with all remaining ingredients to cook down.
How to eat? We eat them with our fingers like wings, biting off all of the skin and the fat pad where the palm of the foot is, discarding the bones.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken feet, scrubbed and rinsed
- 1 T lard
- thumb of ginger, grated
- 1T coconut aminos
- 1 T fish sauce
- honey, as desired
- 2 star anise (optional)
- 1t fermented hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- In a large pan, add enough water to cover chicken feet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove lid, increase heat and allow water to boil off until there is about 1 cup (or 1/4" in pan) remaining.
- On medium high, add lard, grated ginger, coconut aminos, fish sauce, honey, and optional star anise and hot sauce if using. Mix well and let the flavors get to know each other. Stirring frequently, let the liquids cook down until thick and syrupy. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
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