Sugar’s Giblet Gravy

My mother, whom everyone called “Sugar,” made this giblet gravy every Thanksgiving I can remember. We rarely had turkey for our holiday meal because my daddy wasn't particularly fond of it. Instead, Momma bought the largest roasting chicken she could find, and its giblets and neck became the foundation for her gravy.

She always served it alongside her cornbread dressing, a tradition I've carried on in my own kitchen. Although this recipe calls for chicken giblets, turkey giblets work equally well.

Recipe makes about 4 cups; 10-12 servings

Whatcha Need

• 1 package chicken giblets (gizzard, heart, and liver), plus the neck
• 4 tablespoons Crisco shortening or vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2¼ cups reserved giblet cooking liquid (supplemented with chicken broth or water as needed)
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 1 large hard-boiled egg, coarsely chopped

Whatcha Do

1. Trim any excess fat or connective tissue from the giblets. Pat the giblets and neck dry with paper towels.

2. Heat the shortening or oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the gizzard and neck and brown lightly on all sides, about 3–5 minutes.

3. Add enough water to cover the gizzard and neck by about an inch, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 60–90 minutes, or until the gizzard is tender and the neck meat can be easily removed from the bones. Add additional water as needed to keep the meats submerged.

4. During the last 20–30 minutes of simmering, add the heart. Add the liver during the final 10 minutes, cooking until both are thoroughly done.

5. Remove the giblets and neck from the saucepan and allow them to cool slightly. Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring cup and reserve 2¼ cups, adding chicken broth or water if necessary.

6. Finely chop the gizzard, heart, and liver. Remove the meat from the neck bones and chop it, discarding the bones, skin, and gristle. Set the meats aside.

7. Return the saucepan to medium heat, retaining any flavorful browned residue. Add a little additional shortening if necessary to bring the fat to approximately 4 tablespoons. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes, until the roux is smooth and lightly golden.

8. Gradually whisk in the reserved giblet cooking liquid, followed by the milk. Continue stirring until the gravy begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 5–10 minutes.

9. Add the chopped giblets and neck meat, along with the salt and pepper. Stir well and simmer for another 3–5 minutes, allowing the flavors to blend. If the gravy becomes too thick, add a little additional broth or milk until it reaches the desired consistency.

10. Stir in the chopped hard-boiled egg and cook another minute or two, just until heated through. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.

Keep warm until serving time. Transfer to a gravy boat and serve generously over Sugar's cornbread dressing alongside the roasted chicken.

Cook's Notes

• Cooking the giblets: Gizzards require considerably more cooking than hearts or livers to become tender. The longer, gentle simmer softens the gizzard and extracts flavor from the neck, while adding the heart and liver later prevents overcooking. Cook the giblets to an internal temperature of 165°F.

• Browning: Browning the gizzard and neck before simmering develops additional flavor and preserves the method Sugar used in her kitchen.

Consistency: Giblet gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still pour easily. Adjust with a little additional broth or milk as necessary.