A RECIPE FOR NIGERIAN PEPPERED GIZZARDS

    It is also a big favorite in most homes; usually served on skewers and enjoyed as a dish by itself or with  rice recipes, such as Jollof Rice or Fried Rice.

Gizzards are normally sold in packets, quite expensive I know but it’s worth the price. Unlike with the flesh of meat, gizzards are quite small, and when it is seasoned properly, it becomes a powerhouse of flavour. Once you start eating it, you almost can’t stop. If you have a recipe like fried rice that calls for chopped liver, try chopped gizzard next time and watch your guest consume spoonfuls of your rice with delight. Haven’t thought of that before, have you?

You can also make Giz-dodo (recipe HERE)

The Nigerian Peppered Gizzards recipe is meant to be pepperish, but you can twist it up a bit to suit your taste bud.

Ingredients for  Nigerian Peppered Gizzards

• 800 grams chicken gizzards (you might need more, as they tend to shrink a bit)
• 2 scotch bonnet peppers (or to suit your taste)
• 1 red bell pepper (tatashe)(optional)
• 1 fresh red tomato
• 2 large onions
• 1 chopped garlic clove/1 teaspoon powdered  garlic
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon Curry (optional)
• 1 teaspoon Ground crayfish (optional)
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 stock cube(the big type)
• Salt (to taste)

Note: if you have Fried pepper stew  or chicken stew you won’t be needing the tomatoes and red peppers.

For the Garnish you need:

• 1 green bell pepper (chopped into tiny cubes)
• 1 small red onions (chopped into tiny cubes)

How to Prepare Nigerian Peppered Gizzards

1. Clean the Gizzards, remove the yellow lining  and Wash  with salted water or lemon juice;Then rinse in running water, strain and set aside. If you buy yours cleaned and prepacked,the yellow lining might not be there, so simply wash in salted water /lemon juice
2. Place the cleaned gizzards into a pot, pour enough water to cover it and season with half onion bulb, one stock cube, thyme and salt to taste. Cook until tender and set aside.
3. In a saucepan, Heat up five (5) tablespoons vegetable oil. Saute or fry the gizzards in the oil until all sides are beautifully browned.
4. Transfer onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Keep the saucepan(and the oil) for later use. For a healthier option,you can grill the gizzards in the oven until brown.
5. Chop the tomato, peppers and one large onion and blend until smooth. Don’t add any water to the blender, the juice from the tomato will serve.
6. Heat up the sauce pan, Add minced onions, garlic, curry and ground crayfish. Stir-Fry a bit until you can perceive the aroma of the onions and spices.
7. Then pour in the blended pepper mix and Fry until the sour taste of the pepper is gone. This takes about 15 minutes. You’ll know the sauce is ready when the oil rises to the top of the sauce. If you have Pepper sauce 0r chicken stew, you can skip this step.
8. Now you can add the sauteed/fried gizzards to the sauce;add  stock cube or salt to taste,mix thoroughly and simmer for 3 minutes, until the gizzards is softened a bit (you can taste to check).
9. Finally, add the garnish(the chopped green peppers and onions), Mix thoroughly and put of the heat.

And your meal is ready.

You can now serve.

Nigerian Peppered Gizzards (spicy stewed gizzards)can be served by itself , with plantains ,used as a topping for  jollof rice, fried rice, coconut rice or plain boiled white rice.

The choice is yours, Enjoy!