Gizzards and OnionsI never did like gizzards. The ones I had growing up had the weirdest texture. Tried several different kinds then decided not to ever try again. Until one day, one of my mom's friends from church made gizzards. I really didn't want it but my mom kept "forcing" me to taste it. So I decided to give it a try and was actually mad at myself for not trying it earlier because by the time I got to it, there wasn't much left and I wanted more.
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Since then, I've been experimenting with gizzards left and right to try and get something remotely close to what I had. I even tried adding my own spin to which did not turn out quite successful. My husband can easily attest to that. I've spoken to the lady and her daughter about the recipe but for some reason, I can never get it quite right. I would have to watch her make it because explaining it over the phone doesn't help too much, especially when they're giving directions like my mother... (That was an inside joke.)
I finally figured out a recipe that was surprisingly good. My husband literally said verbatim, "I think this is the best gizzards I've ever had to date!" Even my son was asking for more "chicken" and he's such a picky eater. This recipe isn't like the one I originally fell in love with but it's not bad. If you're not a fan of gizzards, maybe this may change your mind. And if you're already a fan of gizzards, then this is definitely a different version to try.
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. The most important step is cleaning the gizzards. Go through each individual piece, removing any yellow membrane if present, and scraping off any fat and/or grains.
Discard the skin/fat, place cleaned gizzards in a large bowl and follow the remaining cleaning/soaking steps as listed under the "Cleaning Meat" page. Thoroughly rinse off each individual piece to ensure that dirt/debris is cleaned off.
2. With cleaned gizzards in a bowl, add 1 crushed Maggie cube, 2 tsps. seasoned salt, thyme, 3 - 5 garlic cloves that are partially crushed, and 1/4 cup sour orange. (You can use fresh squeezed sour orange juice or sour orange concentrate as I have used. You may also substitute for lime juice.) Mix ingredients thoroughly.
3. Transfer the seasoned gizzards to a pressure cooker and pour in 1 can (15 oz.) of crushed tomato. Mix ingredients then add 1 - 2 cups of water to just barely cover the gizzards. (I used about 1 1/2 cups of water which I feel was way more than sufficient since it will produce much more liquid as it cooks.)
4. Cook for 30 minutes in your pressure cooker. (Times may vary based on your model.) After 30 minutes, let it sit to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes more before turning the nozzle to fully release the pressure.
5. Meanwhile, as the gizzards cook in the pressure cooker, slice 1 shallot and 1 - 2 onions. Set them aside.
7. Strain the liquid left behind through a fine mesh strainer and discard the strained material. Reserve the liquid.
8. In a large sauce pan, add 4 tbsps. of oil on medium high heat. Saute about 3 tbsps. of tomato paste for about a minute or so, stirring frequently, taking care for it not to burn.
9. Add the gizzards to the pan and stir frequently to combine ingredients. Saute the gizzards for about 3 - 5 min, stirring frequently to develop some color and add 1 tsp. of Goya Adobo in the process.
10. Add 3 tbsps. of butter along with the sliced shallots and onions. Mix thoroughly to combine and continue to saute until onions start to become translucent, about another 3 - 5 minutes.
11. Once the onions have cooked down a bit, add about 1 cup of the reserved liquid. Stir to incorporate as the liquid comes to a boil and thickens for a few minutes. Add another cup of the reserved liquid at a time, stirring as it thickens. In total, I added about 3 cups of the reserved liquid. You may add more if desired, depending on how saucy you want the dish. You may discard any unused reserved liquid that you don't use. Feel free to add additional salt to taste but honestly, I don't think you will need to.
You can serve this with a side of rice of your choice, vegetables, or anything else of your choosing. I highly recommend drizzling some hot sauce or piman to accompany this dish for a hint of flare.
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What do you think of this recipe? What kind of gizzards to you like?
Let me know and comment below!
Let me know and comment below!
This recipe was posted November 26, 2017.