I made some grilled chicken necks tonight for the entrée. They tasted really yum….

“Ewer…”, I can hear someone making a sound like a noise look, you have rights to have your say, but I enjoy mine whatsoever

For most of Chinese people, chicken necks and chicken feet are quite delicious things to eat. In China, chicken necks and duck heads are cooked with authentic flavours of various spices and sold on the streets in brown paper bags as a yummy finger food. The taste is just unforgettable. I love them to death.

Get 5 duck heads, chew the bones and suck the fingers while watching my favourite movie…I just couldn’t imagine a better way to get spoiled. That is a real treat (although it’s not the healthiest)

While for most of Western people, these are something they would never pay a look. Just look at their prices in any supermarket here…Chicken necks are sold at about $2.00 per kg; chicken feet are about 1.50-2.00 per kg; chicken wings are about $2.00-3.00 per kg; you can’t find chicken heads or duck heads at all. But guess what? Chicken breasts, that Chinese people think the most tasteless part of a chicken, are sold at a price about $8 per kg.

I don’t know exactly how western people feel about Chinese people eating these sort of things, but I assume that if they don’t think they are one of the most disgusting things to eat, they probably think we are the weirdest people in the world to eat like that.

I am not angry and I guess I can understand that. That’s why I have never tried to convince any western people to try eat like us. Food not only reflects the way how people cook, but also reflects the way how the food is served. If people are brought up with a culture of never spitting things out of their mouths once they have eaten them in, how could you expect them to enjoy chicken necks, chicken feet or fish heads? Also how could they possibly separate meat and bones by only using their knives and folks? You must be kidding me…

If these people ask me if these things are worth trying. Well, my answers would be “No” for them, especially if you are the person who only eats fish fillets, chicken breasts and skin-peeled prawns. There is no point for you to get your hands on these things as you enjoy the food in a different way.

But for those who always dare to try, here is the recipe:

Chicken necks
3 table spoons of vegetable oil or olive oil
2 table spoons of soy sauce
Your favourite spices in powder
Pinch of salt and white sugar

Thoroughly clean the chicken necks with tap water, remove skin and any fat;
Put necks in a pot with enough cold water, throw in a couple of pieces of ginger slices, heat until boil (only boil for about 5 minutes, not too long as boiling helps to tighten the meat. Long time boiling would make meat too loose and come off the bones);
Take the necks out of water, set aside to drain;
Get a mixing bowel, put in necks, salt, sugar, soy sauce and your favourite spices (I used chili, a bit of red pepper powder and a bit of cumin. You can use whatever you like), drizzle with 1 tablespoon of oil;
Get a fry pan, pour in rest of oil, pan-fry them until the colour gets dark and brown and meat thoroghly cooked through (it takes about 10 minutes for one batch).
Ready? Turn on TV and let’s use your teeth and fingers, and chew