Giz Dodo Recipe

Clean and boil gizzards

Trim any yellow membrane and excess fat from the gizzards. Rinse under cold water. Place gizzards in a medium saucepan and add 4 cups water, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper, and 1 bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 40–50 minutes until gizzards are tender but not falling apart. Drain and reserve 2–3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid.

Cool and chop

Allow the boiled gizzards to cool slightly. Chop into bite-sized pieces or thin strips (about 1/2 inch pieces) so they fry quickly and mix well with plantain later.

Fry gizzards

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped gizzards in a single layer and fry, stirring occasionally, until they develop light golden edges and some crispness, about 6–8 minutes. Remove gizzards to a plate and set aside.

Prepare pepper mix

In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil if needed. Sauté the remaining 1/2 cup chopped onion for 2–3 minutes until translucent. Add minced garlic and chopped scotch bonnet/habanero and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped green bell pepper and optional tomato and cook 1–2 minutes to soften.

Combine and season

Return the fried gizzards to the skillet with the pepper mixture. Add 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved gizzard cooking liquid (or a splash of water) to deglaze and help meld flavors. Stir and cook together 2–3 minutes so the flavors combine and the mixture is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with a pinch of salt or an additional 1/2 bouillon cube if desired. Keep warm while you fry the plantain.

Prepare plantains

Peel the ripe plantains by cutting off both ends, making a shallow lengthwise slit through the skin, and pulling away the peel. Slice the plantains on the diagonal into 3/4-inch thick slices for larger pieces or 1/2-inch for quicker frying. Toss the slices lightly with 1/4 tsp salt.

Fry plantains

Pour 1 cup vegetable oil into a heavy frying pan or cast-iron skillet to a depth of about 1/4 inch and heat over medium-high until shimmering (about 350°F / when a small piece of plantain sizzles immediately). Fry plantain slices in batches without crowding, 2–3 minutes per side, until golden brown and caramelized. Use a slotted spoon to transfer fried plantains to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. If necessary, adjust heat so they brown without burning; reduce heat slightly after the first batch if browning too quickly.

Crisp finish (optional)

For extra crispness, after draining briefly, return plantains to the hot pan for 30–45 seconds per side just before serving to re-crisp.

When plantains are hot and drained, either fold the warm peppered gizzard mixture gently into the fried plantain in the pan (toss carefully to avoid breaking plantain pieces), or arrange fried plantain on a serving platter and top with the gizzard and pepper mixture. Sprinkle chopped parsley/cilantro over the top and serve immediately with lime or lemon wedges on the side for squeezing.