Moment of Truth: Gésiers d’oie Rock
If you think this looks completely unappetizing…well, you’d be right. But as it turns out, Gésiers d’oie Confit taste pretty damn good…
Last week, I posted a picture of a mysterious can, unsure of what to expect from the confit of goose gizzards that were sitting inside. It didn’t help that the directions were all in French, of which I only understood about 15% on my own. Luckily, Barbra came to the rescue and provided a nifty little translation.
Heated up, sliced, SO tasty.
I think people either love gizzards, or shudder at the thought of them. I fall somewhere in between, as it pretty much just depends on how they are prepared. These organs are chewy, often bordering on rubbery if cooked improperly, with that particular taste of fortified iron that offal often possesses. Its not for everyone. As a child, I was never wild about them, but my friend got me to start snacking on them again a couple of years ago when she brought me to a sake-bar called Hagi in NYC. Deep fried chicken gizzards with a fresh squeeze of lemon juice and some mayo make a pretty delectable snack.
Now back to the gizzard confit. If truth be told, I was pretty turned off when I opened the can. The contents resembled something not unlike my dog’s food. However the goose fat smelled very similar to duck fat, a promising sign.
I heated the gizzards in a small amount of the goose fat on low heat for several minutes, sliced and served them with a farro salad. The verdict: ”To Die for” is an understatement. Rich and succulent were these goose gizzards. Very similar to duck confit in regards to flavor. Texture-wise, they nearly melted in the mouth, unlike simply braised gizzards, which I don’t fancy too much. Also, a lot of the gaminess seemed somewhat diminished as well; if I had done a blind tasting of these, I wouldn’t have guessed gizzards from the first bite.
In retrospect, I actually think I would prefer these Gésiers d’oie Confit with hot foods, like hot farro, French lentils or just some roasted potatoes. Either way, however, this tasting was an eye-opening experience. I will definitely be saving all poultry gizzards from now on and making a confit with them. They are just too good to pass up.
2 comments
Hmm…this does look interesting. I was thinking about getting a goose sometime this holiday season, and hopefully it will have some gizzards. I suppose making a gizzard confit myself might be a nice way to prolong the whole experience. Any thoughts about curing before confit or different preps?
Chris: Interestingly, the ingredients on the can only showed the gizzards, goose fat and salt. And they were so good and full of flavor. One day I will probably just cure them the same way I do duck legs.
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