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Fried Chicken Gizzards

Fried chicken gizzards are an old southern favorite.  They're also called "popcorn chicken" or "country calamari" because of their somewhat rubbery texture.  The gizzard is one of the most nutritious part of the bird, with lots of vitamin B-12.  It also has lots of flavor, and is like a tightly packed button of dark meat. One thing you should know before trying to cook them is that they require careful cleaning and pre-boiling.  This is because the gizzard is the muscle that birds use to grind their food since they don't have teeth.  All kinds of stuff could be stuck in the corners, so each and every one has to be inspected.  If you get one with hard calcified spots, discard it or give it to the cats or dogs.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg. fresh chicken gizzards
  • 2 teaspoons chicken grill spice mix or curry mix, whichever you like (this should be the spice mix, not seasoned salt)
  • 1 teaspoon crushed gray salt
  • 1/8 cup cider vinegar, lemon juice, or full strength unsweetened goji berry juice
  • 1/2 cup white, whole wheat, or oat flour
  • water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • more olive oil and/or palm kernel oil for frying

Instructions:

  1. Rinse the chicken gizzards thoroughly, and put them in a pot.
  2. Fill the pot with clear water, and bring this to a boil.
  3. Let it boil for 15-20 minutes, and then remove it from the heat.
  4. Give the soup to the local cats and dogs.  They love it.  Then re-rinse the gizzards, and fill the pot with cold water, so you don't burn your hands.
  5. Check each gizzard, and remove the yellow clumps.  Also, rub them between your fingers, to remove as much of the slick membrane as possible.
  6. When all of them are done, rinse them again.
  7. Cut each gizzard into individual parts, and then *cut those in half the long way.
  8. Massage the spices, salt, vinegar, and one tablespoon of olive oil into the gizzards.
  9. Get your frying oil ready.  It should be at about medium-low to medium heat.  You don't want it too hot because they cook very quickly.
  10. Toss the gizzards into the flour.
  11. Carefully place the gizzards in the pan in a single layer.
  12. Fry them until they're golden brown.
  13. When they're browned, place them on top of a lint free cloth or paper towels to drain them.
*Some people like to cut the gizzards in half, and some don't.  It's a matter of preference.
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