Chicken feet may often be discarded, and not many people’s favourite snack but, they are praised for containing many health benefits that are mostly attributed to their high collagen content.
In many parts of the world, chicken feet are a culinary delicacy.
Because chicken feet are mainly composed of skin and tendons, the dish has a distinct, gelatinous texture after cooking.
They are served as a dried snack, soup, or main dish, and in some countries, they are a popular baby food. They are more than just a novelty, they are an explosion of textures and flavours that will surprise and delight your senses.
Chicken feet can be served as a snack, cold dish, soup or main dish in a variety of regional cuisines.
Despite the stigma attached to them, they are offered in most African restaurants. But you rarely find them being served gourmet-style at restaurants.
And this is probably why many people are amazed by this London restaurant's chicken feet and head dishes that are on their menu.
According to the restaurant website, Manteca is a nose-to-tail Italian-inspired restaurant. They focus on whole-animal butchery, hand-rolled pasta, wood-fired bread, and their in-house salumeria (a shop specialising in cooked and cured meats, cheeses, and other prepared foods).
From the vast menu, they also serve the interesting “stuffed cockerel neck and leg” as they call the dishes.
“Always a real pleasure to get hold of this kind of quality. We made a sausage from the meat with pork fat seasoned with thyme and garlic. Started in a pan with chicken fat and butter then finished gently at the mouth of the wood oven,” they noted in the caption under the dishes.
Many foodies were intrigued by the chef's creation and took to the comment section to express their thoughts.
One user wrote: “You are one truly talented chef! This shows maximum respect for the produce you use.”
A second user wrote: “Different level! (fire emojis)” While a third commented: “Different level!”
What is also interesting about this restaurant is that it serves up a pig’s head dish and people have been going wild over it on social media, hailing it as “glorious”, “delicious”, and “sensational”.
Half of the head is de-boned and brined, before being slow-cooked for 14 hours.
The chefs then leave it to cool and allow the skin to dry out for a further 24 hours before roasting it in a very hot oven with an “extra blast” of lard to crisp up the skin.
It is served with a mix of sauces and a fresh green salad on the side.
Manteca admits that the dish won’t be for everyone but that it’s ideal for the diner who is a “lover of pig, fat and skin”.