Giblets

giblets a word derived from the OF gibelet, meaning a stew of game birds, now refers to the edible internal organs of a fowl, notably heart, liver, gizzard. The term has been in use in this sense since the mid-16th century, and sometimes had particular application to the goose.

Giblet pies are made, but the main use of giblets in modern times is probably to produce a good stock for giblet soup or gravy. Dorothy Hartley (1954) provides characteristically knowledgeable and detailed guidance on how best to make this broth. Giblet stew, often but not invariably of goose, is still encountered in south-west France, sometimes using the head, neck, feet, and wings as well as innards. It goes under the name of alicot (Strang 1991).