What to do with Gizzards: Dirty Rice, Of Course

I never heard of this dish till I moved to Louisiana. In my 20 years here, I've made it once. That's because they had some already-ground-up gizzards at the grocery, so I overcame my own squeamishness and made some. It was great! My version was much simpler than the one below: just gizzards/livers, onions, bell pepper, rice, and green onions. Plus whatever Cajun blend was at hand, probably Tony Cachere's.

Recipe is courtesy of this site.

A Cajun-style dirty rice recipe.
Ingredients:

* 3/4 pound chicken gizzards
* 3 1/2 cups hot chicken broth or beef broth
* 1 to 2 tablespoons bacon drippings
* 4 tablespoons butter, divided
* 1/2 pound ground lean pork
* 1/2 cup chopped onions
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
* 1/2 cup chopped green onions with tops
* 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
* 2 teaspoons salt
* 1 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 teaspoon paprika
* 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or a few dashes Tabasco sauce
* 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
* 1/2 pound chicken livers, finely diced

Preparation:
Simmer gizzards in the chicken or beef broth for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove gizzards with a slotted spoon; grind or mince. Reserve broth. Heat bacon drippings and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy casserole. Sauté the pork and gizzards over high heat until pork is no longer pink. Lower heat; add vegetables and seasonings and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add rice and reserved broth; bring rapidly to a boil, stir once, cover, and lower heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, until rice is tender.
Sauté minced chicken livers in remaining butter for 3 minutes. Toss with the rice, taste for seasoning, and add salt and pepper if necessary. Cover and let rice fluff in a 225° oven for 10 minutes .
Serves 4 to 6.


Does this sound good to you?