In the western countries the consumption of offal and giblets has fallen out of favor, though in today’s world of worthless (high calorie but low nutrient) foods, most people would benefit greatly from adding organ meats back into their diet. Internal organs are high in calories and cholesterol, their nutritional value is, however, unquestionable. They are an excellent source of different vitamins and minerals, so they can make your diet diversified.
We Hungarians love and often eat organ meats, this enthusiasm can be traced back to our stockbreeding past. It may sound odd to Western ears, but if an animal is to be slaughtered, the greatest care you can make as a mark of your esteem is not to let any edible piece go to waste. In our wasting world, where most people meet only neatly packed, boneless and skinless cuts of meat, eating the whole animal should be the first step towards conscious consumption.
Besides liver gizzard is another giblet that appears frequently on the Hungarian tables. Gizzards are usually cooked as a stew based on the traditional fat-paprika-onion combo. You can use chicken or turkey gizzards, the latter are bigger; therefore, you can clean and trim them easier, but they need more time to soften than chicken gizzards. In our family gizzard stew is eaten with French fries, but feel free to serve it with any side dish you like.
photo: zserbo.com
Ingredients:
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp lard
- 800 g (~1 3/4 lbs) gizzards (chicken or turkey)
- 3 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp hot paprika
- 2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 wax pepper in whole
- 1 small tomato in whole
- 2 handfuls of green peas
- 2 handfuls of mushrooms, sliced
Wash and trim gizzards thoroughly.
In a deep skillet heat lard and sauté onions and garlic until translucent. Add gizzards and cook until they turn white. Remove from the heat, salt and pepper, sprinkle with paprika, and give it a good stir. Pour in water, just enough to cover 3/4 of the food. Add wax pepper and tomato, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and slowly simmer. (Add more water during cooking in order to have enough gravy in the end.)
When gizzards are tender, add green peas and mushrooms and cook for further 5-10 minutes. Serve hot with French fries.
