Chicken and Gizzard Meatballs with Dill have been a simple and familiar part of our everyday this winter.
Inspiration
This past week I met a friend at the Art Institute and she guided me to the Noda Tetsuya exhibit. I found such an inspired and beautiful set of prints. An original expression of social media, in layered print. Reflecting his day to day, life and family. Deliberately.
Tetsuya shares his day to day experiences in his work. Some of his most celebrated pieces reflect exceptional days, such as his engagement announcement to his family and future in-laws. However, he makes his everyday beautiful at the same time, with prints of his wife or growing children – a stamp in time. Or as a commentary on a moment or place where he found himself over the years.
Partial photo of one of Noda Tetsuya’s diary prints, currently at the Art Institute
Like the rest of us, I find myself placing many competing interests on my own time. Yet, this exhibit inspired me to take a long exhale. Consider the beauty in my own day to day.
Deep in the everyday
And I am deep in the everyday right now. We have four kids – ages 10, 8, 5 and 2 – so these are busy years!
Recently, David Brooks wrote that the Nuclear Family was a Mistake, yet that is where I find myself. Ooops! We continue to cobble together our local extended family, yet the city runs far and wide. The kids are not as free-range as they may have been in another place or time. Our everyday is largely together – the 6 of us – in the rhythms of our condo.
Se la vie. The beauty in the everyday comes from every direction if I am looking for it. Right now, longer days are high on that list, but an unexpectedly easy commute or bedtime sneaks in there sometimes, too.
Yet, for me, there is always beauty in our every Monday liver dinners (our recent favorite) and the organ meats we scatter into the rest of the week. Nutrient-dense, local, head-to-tail, building-ecosystems and sequestering-carbon goodness.
Chicken and Gizzard Meatballs with Dill
A few months ago, a farmer reported a glut of gizzards, so I’ve done my best to get some most weeks. These Chicken and Gizzard Meatballs are so easy, they have become part of our everyday this winter.
I poach the gizzards for an hour or two in broth so I often have some ready. Sometimes they just get sliced warm with salty butter. But often I grind them in the food processor and mix them into meatballs. These are the simplest version, yet they’ve been well-received for breakfast or dinner, and are portable enough for a lunch bag.
Enjoy!
Chicken and Gizzard Meatballs with Dill
Notes
Note: This recipe feeds a family of 6 with leftovers, but feel free to half or quarter it to meet your own needs.
Two hours of prep time is reserved for cooking gizzards, which may be done in advance. Reserve just 15 minutes of prep time to combine ingredients well. Cook time reflects 3-4 batches of meatballs in a single pan.
I use Selina Naturally Celtic Sea Salt, Fine-Ground - which is still far more coarse than Redmond Real Salt. Finer salt will go further (use less); more coarse salt will leave you short (add a bit more).
Ingredients
- 1 lb duck, turkey, or chicken gizzards, inside neck removed
- water or broth
- 2 lbs ground chicken or turkey
- 2 eggs, beaten together
- 3 t salt
- 1 head dill, chopped
- 4T lard, or other fat, divided for frying
Instructions
- Poach gizzards in broth (or water) to cover by 1-2 inches: bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1-2 hours until tender. Remove gizzards and reserve broth (or toss water). (Can be done a day or two in advance.)
- Blend 'dry' gizzards in food processor until they resemble a crumbly paste. Combine with ground poultry, eggs, salt, and dill. Mix well with your hands to break up the gizzard paste until meat base is well mixed and gizzards and evenly distributed.
- Add a tablespoon of lard to a pan on medium-high heat. When the fat is getting hot and shimmering, add meatballs and fry on each side until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes on the first side (do not lift up or move until they have browned on this side) and 2-4 minutes on the second side. Continue in batches until all meatballs have been cooked. Enjoy warm or cold!
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