Italian Style Giblets Recipes

GIBLET BOLOGNESE

Steps:

• Break up the mushrooms and submerge them in 1 to 2 cups of hot water. Let them sit while you proceed.
• Pulse the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in a food processor until you get somewhere between a fine mince and a paste. Don't puree it. Set the vegetables aside in a bowl for now.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy lidded pot set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the giblets and the ground meat. Brown them well, sprinkling some salt over them as they cook. When they are close to being done, stop stirring them so a crust, what the French call a "fond," forms on the bottom of the pan. Brown is good, black not so much. So watch your heat. When it forms, remove the meats and set aside.
• Add the vegetables to the pot. Let the moisture from the vegetables soften the meat crust in the pot. Salt them as they cook. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables soften well, and then let another crust form.
• While the vegetables are cooking, mince the mushrooms. Keep the mushroom soaking water, and strain it if there's debris in it. When the crust has reformed in the pot, add the mushrooms and the cup of sherry. Use the wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits again. Let all the sherry cook away until yet another crust forms.
• Add the nutmeg, bay leaves, cloves, and 1 cup of the mushroom soaking water. Scrape up the crust one last time. Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the juice/sauce from the jar of whole tomatoes. Crush the tomatoes by hand into the pot. Return the meats to the pot, stir well, add salt to taste and simmer, partially covered, for at least 90 minutes. You want the gizzard bits to be fairly tender.
• To finish, get your water boiling for the pasta. Turn the heat to low on the sauce and add the cream. Bring the sauce back to a bare simmer and when the pasta is ready, grind black pepper over the sauce. I like to put the pasta in a large bowl, add one ladle of the sauce over it and toss to coat. I then give everyone some pasta and add a bit more of the sauce on each person's plate. Grate some cheese over everything and you're good to go.

CHICKEN GIBLETS OR LIVERS

Steps:

• Fry the giblets and/or livers in the olive oil until brown.
• Add the spices and seasonings and stir well.
• Add the chopped onion and garlic. Fry for 5 minutes.
• Add wine and simmer gently until cooked.
• If you are cooking giblets only, a little water may be added if necessary.

HEARTS AND GIZZARDS (GIBLETS)

Steps:

• Rub oil on inside of pressure cooker. Season flour with salt and pepper to taste, then dredge giblets in flour to coat.
• Place chopped onion and giblets in open pressure cooker and saute lightly, shaking or stirring often. Add water.
• Following manufacturer's directions for pressure cooker, cook under 15 pound pressure for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until cooked through and no longer pink inside.

RIGATONI WITH BRAISED GIBLET SAUCE

Steps:

• Cook the pancetta in a large pot over medium heat, stirring, until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the turkey giblets; chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the giblets and neck to the pot; cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and red pepper flakes; cook until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, rosemary and 1 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, about 5 more minutes.
• Add the wine and cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Crush the tomatoes into the pot with your hands and pour in the juice from the cans. Add 3 cups water and the parmesan rind, if using. Increase the heat to high, bring to a boil and cook 5 minutes. Stir, then reduce the heat to low. Partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is falling off the neck bone, 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove the neck; pull the meat off the bone, shred and return the meat to the sauce. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the parsley; season with salt and pepper.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Drain and toss with the sauce. Top with shaved parmesan.

RISOTTO WITH GIBLETS

Steps:

• Trim the livers, cutting away any connective pieces and any dark spots. Cut into large bite-sized pieces, keeping the lobes in tact as much as possible. Refrigerate until needed. Trim the chicken hearts of fat.
• Trim all the fat, connective tissue, and gristle from the gizzards, leaving just the meaty parts.
• Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 of the onions, the carrots, and the celery and sauté until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and the gizzards and hearts and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the wine and let it bubble up in the pan. When it is reduced by half, add enough of the broth to barely cover the gizzards and hearts (about 2 cups). Simmer over low heat until tender, about 1 hour or so. Remove the giblets from the pan with a slotted spoon, transfer to a cutting board, and chop coarsely. Set the giblets aside.
• Pour the remaining broth (about 5 cups) into a saucepan and bring to a simmer; adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining diced onion and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add a ladleful (about 1 cup) of the simmering broth and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the broth is absorbed. Reduce the heat and continue to add the broth a ladleful at a time, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next, until the rice kernals are al dente at the center and creamy on the outside, 18 to 20 minutes in all.
• Meanwhile, cook the chicken livers: If you want to keep this kosher, broil the livers until cooked through. If not, you may sauté them in a separate pan in olive oil until golden on the outside and still pink at the center. Season with salt and pepper and set aside; keep warm.
• Just before the rice is ready, stir in the giblets and tomatoes and warm through. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and garnish with the chicken livers. Serve immediately

GIBLET GRAVY I

Steps:

• In a 2 quart saucepan, simmer the giblets, salt, pepper, bouillon, celery and onion in 1 quart of water for 40 to 50 minutes.
• Discard celery, onion and gizzard. Chop liver and neck meat and return to pan. Add chicken broth or if you have a turkey, use drippings (about 1 1/2 cups and 1 can of chicken broth).
• Chop eggs and add to broth. Mix cornstarch and milk together and slowly add to broth. Stir well until thickened. Reduce heat to low.

CHICKEN GIBLET RISOTTO BASE

Steps:

• 1. Saute onions in butter/oil until clear, ADD... cleaned and chopped giblets, salt, pepper, cinnamon.
• 2. Melt tomato paste in 1+ cup hot broth, add celery, and an additional 1 1/2 cups hot broth. Simmer, then raise to low/medium heat until giblets are well done and the sauce has thickened...
• 3. 20 minutes before serving time let your family know you are Adding the RICE, and to finish their drink at the table SINCE you will be at the stove stirring. STIR GENTLY INTO THE SAUCE. ADD.. 1 CUP OF BROTH of MORE INTO THE RICE UNTIL IT IS ABSORBED. STIR GENTLY, AND CONSTANTLY TO PREVENT STICKING. KEEP ADDING BROTH 1 CUP AT A TIME UNTIL ABSORBED AND THE RICE IS COOKED. REMOVE FROM HEAT, ADD 1/4 CUP BUTTER, AND 1/2 CUP OF PARMESAN CHEESE and MORE BROTH AS IT SHOULD BE THICK BUT STILL A RUNNY CONSISTANCY. RISOTTO WAITS FOR NO ONE..... SERVE IMMEDIATELY Have extra freshly grated Parmesan Cheese on the table.

OLD FASHIONED GIBLET STUFFING

Steps:

• Chop giblets and cook in butter in a medium skillet over medium heat, 2 minutes. Stir in celery and onion and cook until tender, but not brown. Remove from heat and stir in salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
• Place bread crumbs in a large bowl. Toss with giblet mixture and enough broth to lightly moisten the bread. Use stuffing to stuff an 18 pound turkey, or bake separately, in a 2 quart dish, covered, 40 to 45 minutes in a 375 degree F (190 degree C) oven.