Gizzard belongs to the family of foods called offal. It is the digestive tract of the chicken. It is often filled with stones which aid the bird in the grinding and digestion of food. The gizzard is small in size and has a distinctive taste. Many years ago, gizzard was considered the meat for men in Igboland. It was exclusively reserved for the head of the family. Women and children were forbidden from eating it. Today, with the influx of frozen chicken into the market, anyone can afford to can buy any part of chicken they want and in the desired quantity too. Every time I think about the gizzard taboo, I am reminded of the Igbo saying, uwa n’ eme ntughari which means the world is dynamic.
Gizdodo, as can be deduced from the name, is basically gizzard and ripe plantain sautéed in peppered sauce. It’s a finger-food, a simple dish that can be served alone or with any rice or spaghetti dish. Here is a list of ingredients for making this food and a concise guide on how to make it.
Ingredients
Gizzard
Ripe plantains (not over ripe)
Tomatoes
Atarodo
Fresh pepper
Carrot
Green beans
Spring onions
Green pepper
Seasoning/stock cubes
How to Cook
Rinse the gizzard and put it in a pot. Spice it with onions, pepper, stock cubes and salt. Pre-cook for about twenty minutes. When the gizzard is tender, chop it into smaller bits. I prefer to cut each gizzard into three parts. Afterwards, peel the plantains and chop it into cube sizes. Rinse the tomatoes, pepper and the atarodo. Destalk the pepper and remove the seed from the atarodo. Blend or cut the tomatoes, atarodo and pepper. Dice onions as well as carrot and green pepper and keep aside.
Please note that for gizdodo, I prefer a wide frying pan. This eliminates the chances of mashing while stirring. Having said that, add vegetable oil to the frying pan and fry the plantain until it is golden brown. Scoop into a sieve and set aside. Reduce the oil and fry the gizzard. When it’s properly fried, scoop it into a sieve. Check the oil in the frying pan, if it is now too small, add a little extra to it. Add chopped onions. Stir and add the blended puree and pepper. Fry on medium heat for about fifteen minutes. Add salt and seasoning cubes to taste. Once the taste is to your satisfaction, add the gizzard. Stir well so the gizzard blends fully with the sauce. Then add the fried plantain and vegetables; stir then leave on fire for a maximum of three minutes. Turn off the heat and serve hot.
References
We Men Should Cook
All Nigerian Foods
Featured image source: All Nigerian Foods
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