2 tablespoons groundnut oil
75g white sugar
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
Oil for deep-frying
1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed
1 tsp Sichuan pepper
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 star anise
Salt to taste
A piece of cassia bark
Sugar to taste
20g ginger, unpeeled, sliced
A little potato starch mixed with water
2 spring onions, white parts only
1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed
¾ tsp salt
One fresh red chilli, cut into thin slices
1. Bring a litre of water to the boil in a saucepan.2. Cut the tips off the chickens』 feet, along with the toenails.
3. Add 75g sugar to the boiling water and stir to dissolve. Then add the feet, return to the boil and blanch for a couple of minutes. Remove and set aside until completely dry.
4. Heat the deep-frying oil to about 200˚C. Add the dried feet and deep-fry until golden-brown. Drain and set aside.
5. Place a litre of water in a saucepan with the Sichuan pepper, star anise, cassia, spring onions and ginger. Add the feet, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 30 minutes until tender. Drain and shake dry.
6. Heat 2 tbsp groundnut oil in a wok, add the garlic and stir-fry briefly to release its fragrance. Add the black beans and sizzle for a few seconds more.
Add the oyster sauce, stir a few times amd then pour in 100ml water.
7. Add the chickens』 feet, bring the liquid to the boil and season to taste with salt and sugar if necessary. Stir vigorously for a couple of minutes until the feet are covered in sauce and the liquid is much reduced.
8. You can eat them immediately or – in the dim sum fashion – place the feet in a small bowl in a bamboo steamer. Scatter over the chilli slices and then steam them until you wish to eat them.
鳳爪 500克
白糖 75克
油 用於油炸
花椒 1小勺
八角 1個
桂皮 1塊
生薑 20克（帶皮）
小蔥 2根，只要蔥白，切斷
鹽 3/4小勺
花生油 2大勺
蒜蓉 2小勺
豆豉 1大勺，洗淨
蠔油 3大勺
鹽、糖 適量
芡粉 少量，加1大勺水衝開
豆豉 1大勺，洗淨
新鮮紅椒 1個，切薄片
2．鳳爪洗淨，剪除腳尖部分，包括趾甲。
3．往沸水裡放75克糖，攪拌溶解。然後放入鳳爪，等水再次燒開後再焯幾分鐘。撈出，待鳳爪完全瀝乾水。
4．鍋裡多放油，加熱到大概七成熟（200°C）。把瀝乾水的鳳爪倒進去，炸到表面呈現金棕色。撈起瀝油待用。
5．鍋裡再倒入1升水，加花椒、八角、桂皮、蔥、姜和鳳爪，大火燒開後轉小火燜煮30分鐘，直到鳳爪軟爛。之後撈出瀝乾。
6．炒鍋裡熱2大勺花生油，加蒜蓉迅速翻炒出香味。加入豆豉，再翻炒幾秒鐘。加入蠔油，翻炒幾下，倒入100毫升水。
7．加入鳳爪，燒開，根據口味加鹽和糖調味。大力翻攪幾分鐘收汁，並讓鳳爪沾滿醬汁。
8．起鍋後可以趁熱吃，或者像點心店那樣把鳳爪放在小碗裡，再放進竹蒸屜，撒點紅辣椒碎，一直小火蒸著，等想吃的時候再吃。
《魚翅與花椒》英文原版於2008年出版，十年後在中國大陸推出了中譯本。作者在成都生活過，她用地道的英文幽默地描述她對四川美食文化的理解和熱愛。扶霞·鄧洛普在牛津長大，於劍橋大學取得英國文學學士學位，其後於倫敦亞非學院以名列前茅的優異成績獲得中國研究碩士學位。1994年，扶霞在獲得了英國文化協會獎學金補助後，前往四川大學交流學習一年；其後又在四川烹飪高等專科學校接受了三個月的專業廚師訓練，成為該校第一位外國學生。她把自己對中國美食的熱愛寫成了書。