In a large bowl, combine the boiling water, star anise, ginger, cinnamon stick, dried bay leaves, cloves, and salt. Stir the brine together until the salt fully dissolves. You can prepare the brine before or after frying the chicken, depending on whichever you find easier. If you prepare it beforehand, however, loosely cover it and let it sit aside at room temperature until you're ready to use it. Dunk the fried chicken feet in the bowl of chicken brine. Make sure that the brine evenly covers all the feet. Pour the rice wine and cold water into the same bowl as the brine and chicken feet, then stir gently to combine the ingredients. The cold water should be nearly as cold as ice water. The low temperature will quickly drop the temperature of the brine and the chicken feet, thereby halting the cooking process. Loosely cover the bowl and place it in your refrigerator. Allow the brine to marinate the chicken feet for at least 2 hours. After 2 hours pass, don't be alarmed if the chicken feet look puffy. This is normal and can actually improve the final texture of the dish. Pour the contents of the bowl through a colander. Set the chicken feet aside and discard the excess brine.

Summary:
Combine most of the brine ingredients. Submerge the feet in the brine. Add the remaining brine ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain and discard the brine.