Plantain Goodness With OunjeAladun: Gizzdodo

Gizdodo is a happy marriage of fried plantain, fried gizzard and peppered stew. I’ve been trying to find the history of the dish but one thing I’m certain of is that it was made popular by caterers who served them at parties and events. Usually it is served at parties as a side dish or it accompanies some other dishes, but it can be served by itself. I love gizzard, cooked or fried, I just love the crunch, it’s like eating beef that tastes like chicken with the crunch of a soft cartilage.

Okay Enough of my rant, I craved gizdodo last night but Le hubs ordered beans, so I spent all of today dreaming of dinner.

Recipe

•    1 Kg Frozen Gizzard

•    6 Ripe Plantains

•    2 Large Onions

•    4 Tomatoes

•    Jalapeño peppers ( Bawa / Sombo / long tatashe ) As many as you want depending on how much heat you can handle. I used more than 10 pieces

•    1 large sweet bell pepper  (i used 1/2 Yellow and 1/2 Orange sweet bell peppers)

•    Scotch Bonnet  (Ata rodo) as many as you want

•    1 cup gizzard Stock

•    4 Bouillon Cubes (knorr beef cubes in this instance)

•    Salt to taste

•    Vegetable oil ( to fry )

Procedure

–    Rinse gizzard, put in a pot and   chop one large onion, and season with bouillon cubes, and salt. Cook till it is well cooked.

–     While your gizzard is cooking prep you other ingredients. Coarsely blended your tomatoes, onion and peppers. You can use as little or as much of any of these ingredients. What we want to get is at least 2 1/2 cups of the coarsely blended pepper. Chop you bell peppers. When the gizzard is cooked, save the stock,  chop and fry.

–     Dice up your plantains and fry till golden brown and set aside. (I like to fry my plantain first and use the same oil to fry the gizzard)

–     Using some the oil you fried the gizzard in, in a pot or wok add the pepper blend, add 1 cup of the gizzard Stock,  taste for seasoning, if necessary season a little more. Cook with lid off till the water is reduced completely and the pepper starts to fry in the oil, turn the heat down a notch, then add chopped bell peppers.

–     Turn the heat down completely and  add the gizzard,  stir it in well and add the fried plantain and stir in using a wooden or plastic spoon/ladle  so as not to mash up the plantain.

–     Stir in well and turn off the heat. Serve warm.

Le hubs came in an hour early from work and came straight to the kitchen, the aroma of the gizzard pulled him in, he says “Ki lon ta san san? ” (What smells goods), he spies the gizzard and the says “Ope o! Gizdodo ” He had second helpings. The little man in his own case was upset, because I had given him just dodo and fried egg earlier since he had  an early dinner. -Bedtime is 7 – 7.30 pm on a school night and school is back in session. –

Our guest writer, Omolabake Bode - Matthew is unscripted , a lawyer turned virgin cocktail and fruit juice expert and she'd charge you to see her skills. To relax, she cooks, she loves to play with food, that she can share with you for free.

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