Organ Recital--Duck Feet

Duck feet look like the fingers of extra-terrestrials--imperially thin, chalk white, and moist. French cooks use feet to fortify stocks and give them a near-gluey texture. Asian cooks know the goodness of the organ itself, or shall we call the appendages by their more proper term of variety meats? Duck feet can be poached in boiling water, then pickled in a ginger-laced vinegar; they can be stuffed with pork fat and turnips and roasted; they can be braised with rice wine and soy sauce. When deboned, duck feet are sometimes called webs, and, when used in southern Chinese recipes, are often served stuffed or braised in casseroles.

Duck webs are available, cooked in a clay pot with abalone, at Golden Unicorn, 18 East Broadway, 212-941-0911

Click! Dogpile of duck feet.