Ask Evan: When I Buy a Whole Chicken…What Should I Do With the Giblets?

Every Tuesday I answer a question from a Good Food listener. You can email me a question, leave one on Facebook or add one in the comments section here. This week’s question comes from Christina:

When I get a whole chicken to roast…what in the world do I do with the giblets? It feels so wasteful to toss them, but they’re totally out of my realm of experience. I’ve seen some stuffing recipes that include them, but they require me to be able to tell the liver from the rest of the parts, which I know nothing about!

Roast the giblets and the heart! They are delicious and surprisingly mild in flavor. Just throw them in the pan with with chicken. I always eat them as Chef’s treat. The giblets look like twin organs that are connected. The heart looks like a mini heart and the liver is the dark, mushy thing. Saute the liver with minced onion with a little rosemary and a touch of tomato sauce. I add a little juniper berry. Don’t overcook it. The liver is done when it firms up but is still a tad pink inside. Then chop it up with a knife and smear on toast. You’ve just made Crostini al Fegato, the Italian version of chopped liver.