Cooking with Rod's Family

By Melinda Cohenour

The holidays are fast approaching. This year they bring an admixture of emotion. A year's end heralding many changes. A new home. A complete change in my lifestyle. Our first holiday season without Rod. Bittersweet.

Our grandson Adam has discovered he has not only an appreciation of cooking but a growing gift. He has exhibited his skill as a grillmaster, preparing some of the most delectable steaks you've ever tasted. His experimental flavors for corn on the cob are tantalizing as well.

Looking forward to the holidays, I suppose, Adam requested my recipe for Giblet Gravy. Just writing it down this evening has set my taste buds alight. It will be hard to wait for the first turkey dinner!

We are Cooking With Rod's Family, preparing dishes he would definitely appreciate. Hope you enjoy preparing them as well.

Bon appetit~

Ingredients:

* giblets from inside poultry (usually a gizzard, heart, kidneys, liver) If desired you can purchase more chicken livers separately. Some really like more in their gravy. Rinse before use in this recipe.

* neckbone

* small onion

* 2-3 stalks celery

* Water

* 2-3 tablespoons flour

* 2 cans or 1 quart low or no sodium.chicken broth

* 1/2 cup milk

* 2 eggs if desired

* black pepper

Instructions:

1. Remove giblets and neck from cavity of poultry. Rinse giblets gently. Trim gristle from gizzard. If desired, slice gizzard and heart and add to a medium saucepan.. Lucky you if you also got the kidney. Slice it as well. Reserve and refrigerate liver until later as it takes less time to cook. Cover giblets and neckbone with water, at least 2 inches above the top.

2. Simmer giblets and neckbone about 40 minutes to an hour. Add liver after cooking for 30 minutes. Over-cooking liver makes it become bitter but you do want it cooked through.

A great deal of tasty meat may be salvaged from the neckbone. After permitting the neckbone to cool, I usually work cautiously using a sharp small paring knife and my fingers to remove the meat from the bone. (Make sure no bone sneaks into your bowl!)

3. Add neck meat back to the saucepan. Add 1 small onion, diced. Add 2 - 3 stalks celery, destring and cut into small moons. Reserve the leafy top for later use. Cover with a quart of broth and place over medium high heat.

4. Simmer slowly about 30 to 40 minutes permitting onion and celery to cook. Stir occasionally. Strain giblets, meat and vegetables carefully from liquid. Reserve and keep warm while preparing gravy. Increase heat and permit broth to begin to boil gently.

5. Make a simple paste of equal parts flour and water. Whisk to ensure there are no lumps. Slowly add to boiling broth. Whisk constantly as gravy thickens to desired consistency. Add milk and continue to whisk until blended.

6. Add back giblet, neck meat and vegetable mixture. Crack and break raw eggs in a separate bowl to make sure they're fresh and there are no pieces of shell. Once gravy has become hot again, drizzle eggs into gravy and stir while they cook, lacing your gravy with strands of egg. . Season to taste with black pepper. Serve in a warm bowl. Garnish with leafy celery tops.