PORTUGUESE CHICKEN GIZZARDS (MOELA)
- 1 kg chicken gizzard
- 4 slices bacon
- 1 small onion, minced
- 4 stalks celery, minced (I used Leeks)
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and minced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons crushed red chili pepper (preferably piri-piri)
- 1½ cups tomatoes, canned or fresh, chopped finely (I used sun-dried tomatoes)
- 1 quart chicken broth
- 12 ounces beer (nothing too dark)
- ½ cup red wine
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 4-6 dry bay leaves
- parsley sprigs for garnish
Chop each chicken gizzard into 4 pieces. Set aside.
In a large Dutch oven of at least 3 quarts, fry the bacon slices over medium heat until the fat has rendered out. Remove them from the pot and set aside.
In the bacon fat, saute the onion for about 8 minutes until onions start to turn golden brown. Raise heat to medium high and add celery, carrots, pepper and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes more then add oregano, thyme and red chili flakes.
Stir in tomatoes and let them brown slightly on the bottom by letting them sit for about a minute, then scrape the bottom and let them sit again. Do this about 3 or 4 times.
Stir in chicken broth, beer, wine, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Add gizzards. Let the mixture come up just to a boil. Try not to let it come up to a rolling boil or else your gizzards will toughen up. Immediately reduce heat to low and cover.
Let simmer for 2½ – 3 hours, stirring occasionally. Check in periodically to make sure that all the gizzards are submerged and that the mixture is not boiling.
When the meat is very tender, serve the stew in individual bowls topped with crumbled bacon and parsley.
Recipe posted by Amanda Conradie
Photo: Elize de Kock
