Salade Chaude Aux Gésiers

Salade Chaude aux Gésiers (Warm Gizzard Salad)

A classic French bistro salad featuring warm, tender chicken gizzards tossed with potatoes, onions, and briny olives in a sharp vinaigrette.

Prep

15 min

Cook

35 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •600 g (21 oz) chicken gizzards, trimmed and cleaned
• •500 g (1.1 lb) small waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte or fingerling
• •2 ml (½ tsp) red wine vinegar, for blanching gizzards, or null
• •1 unit bay leaf
• •5 g (1 tsp) black peppercorns
• •1 unit large yellow onion, sliced thin into rings
• •120 g (4 oz) Niçoise or pitted black olives
• •15 g (1 tbsp) Dijon mustard
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) red wine vinegar, for vinaigrette
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• •10 g (¼ cup) fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• •2 g (½ tsp) fine sea salt, plus more for cooking
• •1 g (¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Place the cleaned gizzards in a small saucepan, cover with cold water, add 2 ml red wine vinegar, the bay leaf, and peppercorns. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, partially covered, for 25 to 30 minutes until the gizzards are fork-tender. An internal temperature of at least 75 °C (165 °F) confirms doneness. Drain and slice into bite-sized pieces while still warm.
2. 2 While the gizzards simmer, scrub the potatoes and cook them in a separate pot of generously salted boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes, until just tender when pierced. Drain, let cool slightly, then peel if desired and slice 1 cm (⅜ in) thick.
3. 3 Lightly char or soften the onion rings: toss them with a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes until just wilted and lightly browned at the edges. They should remain crisp-tender.
4. 4 In a large bowl, whisk together the Dijon mustard, 30 ml red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Slowly stream in the olive oil while whisking until emulsified.
5. 5 Add the warm sliced potatoes to the vinaigrette and toss gently so they absorb the dressing. Add the warm gizzards, the sautéed onions, and the olives. Toss again carefully so the potatoes do not break apart.
6. 6 Taste and adjust salt and vinegar. Scatter the chopped parsley over the top and serve immediately while still warm, traditionally as a starter with crusty bread.
7. 7 Storage note: best eaten the day it is made. Refrigerate any leftovers promptly in a sealed container and consume within 24 hours; do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.