Clean and prep the chicken feet well. Put in a pot with enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a rolling boil. Then simmer for another 5-6 minutes. Transfer boiled chicken feet out from the pot. Drain/dry well. Keep aside.

See step #5 (OPTIONAL) to achieve the tiger skin/wrinkly skin look that is similar to dimsum restaurants.

Heat 3 tbsp of cooking oil in a wok or deep pan. Over medium heat, fry garlic, ginger, star anise, bay leaves and fermented black beans (if using) until garlic is lightly golden. Add dried chillies.

Add chicken feet and all the sauces - oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, Chinese cooking wine and sugar next.

Pour 450 ml hot water. Bring to a good boil for few minutes. Then cover the wok or deep pan with a lid. Simmer over low heat for 30- 40 minutes or until the feet are very tender.

Then remove the lid. Cook uncovered over HIGH HEAT until the sauce is slightly thicken. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Once done, remove from the heat and serve as it is or with rice.

💡 OPTIONAL:
To achieve the tiger skin or wrinkly skin look that is similar to all dimsum restaurants, you can fry the chicken feet until golden after boiling them (but make sure to fully dry the chicken feet with clean kitchen towel before frying to reduce splattering). Another alternative is to use air fryer to achieve the same result.

Frying & air frying the chicken feet will remove excess water from the chicken and this will allow the chicken to soak all the flavorful sauce during braising.