CHICKEN FEET SOUP ASHTON STYLE #(65)

     When I was young my mother and grandmother made "chicken feet soup"!  Yes from chicken feet.  Last year when we visited the West Side Market I wondered if anyone there sold chicken feet.  Behold, yes there was a butcher that had chicken feet so I bought about 2 1/2 pounds of them. Italians made this soup because it was cheap and good. About a week later, after visiting the Market and bringing the chicken feet home where they had been in the freezer; I thawed them and but them in a pot with some Millers Chicken Base and cooked them about 2 hrs.  At this time, I removed the chicken feet nails which I had not been abled to get off when raw. The following receipe follows the regular recipe for making chicken soup.  I realize that most of you won't make it but for those adventurous souls I suggest you try it and I think you will discover that its actually very good and fun to gnaw on! This is especially so for those who like to gnaw on bones as the feet are mostly bones and cartiledge. ENJOY

INGREDIENTS:
      2 to 3lbs of cleaned chicken feet (the outer yellow skin is removed).
      3 tab of Millers or equivilent soup base
      1 tsp of coarse ground pepper
      2 tab sugar
      2 medium onions peeled, cut in half, then cut
         in half again and sliced not minced
      4 lg carrots or 8 small carrots, peeled and cut in thin circles
      3 stalks of celery cut in pieces (cut in half towards thick end then slice)

DIRECTIONS:
      1. put the chicken feet into about 3 qts of water
      2. add 3 tab of Millers Chicken Base or equivilent;
          and the sugar
      3. cook over moderate heat for about 1 1/2 hrs until the
          chicken feet are tender. (liquid should be reduced
          which is better for flavor unless you feel it is too salty
          then add some more water.
     4.  if the chicken feet are very tender set aside covered;
     5.  add the vegtables and cook about 45 minutes until all is tender.
     6.  taste the soup and adjust salt and pepper if necessary
     7.  add the chicken feet back into soup and simmer an
          addititonal 1/2 hr
     8.  this recipe should serve about 6 or even more ENJOY