Stewed Gizzards with Tomato and Sour Cream (Shlunochky)

• 1 kg chicken or turkey gizzards, cleaned
• 1 onion, halved, for the boiling water (discarded)
• 2 bay leaves, for the boiling water
• Mixed spice: 5–6 allspice berries and about 7 black peppercorns, for the boiling water
• 1 heaped tsp salt for the boiling water, plus ½ tsp for the sauce
• 30 g butter
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, cut into quarter rings
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 tomatoes, blended (or grated)
• 4 small heads of young garlic with a little of their green (or 4 garlic cloves), finely chopped
• 2 tbsp sour cream (smetana)
• about 1½ cups water, added in stages
• ⅓ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp chicken seasoning
• 1 tbsp chopped dill or parsley

Method

The cook speaks Ukrainian; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Rinse and trim the gizzards, leave them whole, cover with boiling water and simmer, skimming off any foam. 0:35
2. Add the halved onion, 2 bay leaves, a heaped tsp of salt, the allspice and peppercorns. Cover and simmer another 30–40 minutes (45–50 in all). Lift out the gizzards to cool; discard the broth, onion and bay. 1:50
3. Cut the 2 onions in half, then into quarter rings. 3:15
4. Heat the butter and 1 tbsp oil in a well-heated frying pan and fry the onion until translucent and just golden. Grate the carrot and blend the tomatoes meanwhile. 3:37
5. Cut the cooled gizzards into thin strips and finely chop the garlic. 4:40
6. Add the tomatoes, carrot and garlic to the onion, lower the heat and stew until soft. Stir 2 tbsp sour cream into 100–150 ml water so it doesn't curdle and pour it in. 5:58
7. Add the gizzards and a little more water (up to about 1 cup), the pepper, chicken seasoning and ½ tsp salt. Cover and simmer on medium about 30 minutes. 7:15
8. Stir in the chopped herbs, let it bubble for a minute, then turn off the heat and serve. 8:43

Tip. The cook uses turkey gizzards; chicken work the same. Serves about 5 (not stated). She serves it with boiled rice and cabbage salad — the salad alone keeps it lower in carbs.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.