Mollejas en Escabeche (Pickled Gizzards)
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
2 hrs 10 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs 15 mins
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Servings
6 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Puerto Rican
Mollejas en Escabeche (Pickled Gizzards)
Description
This recipe cooks chicken gizzards in water until tender over up to two hours, ensuring the tough muscular organ meat becomes soft and palatable. After cooling and trimming, the gizzards are chopped and combined with sliced onions, red bell pepper, and olives, along with a marinade of olive oil, white vinegar, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and salt. Optionally, boiled and sliced green bananas provide additional texture and balance.
The cooking process briefly softens the onions within the pickling mixture, while the vinegar and oil create a preserving environment that flavors the gizzards with bright and savory notes. The final dish is served at room temperature or chilled, offering contrast between the rich gizzards and acidic marinade.
Traditional to some Latin cuisines, Mollejas en Escabeche can be prepared in advance and kept refrigerated, allowing the flavors to meld. Adjust seasoning to taste and include the optional bananas if a starch component is desired.
Ingredients
- 4 lb chicken gizzards
- 2 white onion or yellow onions, large
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 cup olives sliced, stuffed
- 8 garlic diced, cloves
- 4-6 bay leaf
- 2 cups olive oil
- 3/4 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- salt to taste
Optional:
- 5-6 banana green
Instructions
- Place a pot over medium heat and place the mollejas (gizzards) inside with enough water to cover them. Cook until tender for up to 2 hours. Check every once in a while to see when they're done and add more water while cooking if necessary.
- When they're done, drain the gizzards and leave them aside to cool.
- If you decide to use green bananas, cook them as well by boiling them unpeeled in a pot of salted water until fork-tender. Remove the peel once cool enough and cut into 1/2-inch slices.
- Once the gizzards have cooled enough that you won't burn yourself, start trimming away the excess fat or tough skin from around the edges and chop into smaller pieces.
- Mix the chopped vegetables (including the green bananas, if using) with the vinegar, oil, bay leaves and seasoning in the pot with the mollejas and cook for around 5 minutes until the onion has softened.
- Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature before serving. If making the dish in advance it can be kept in the fridge and served cold (it might taste even better after resting for a while!).
Enjoy!
Notes
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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