Tuscan Style Duck Gizzard Risotto Northern Plains Style

• 1/4 pound duck gizzards
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus oil for sautéing gizzards
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups dry red wine (Chianti)
• 7 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups Chieftain Wild Rice Blend depending on the texture/flavor you want
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup peeled, seeded, and diced fresh plum tomatoes

Trim all the fat, connective tissue, and gristle from the gizzards, leaving just the meaty parts.

Warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 of the onions, the carrots, and the celery and sauté until softened, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and the gizzards, sauté for 5 minutes. Add the wine and let it bubble up in the pan. When it is reduced by half, add enough of the broth to barely cover the gizzards (about 2 cups).

Simmer over low heat until tender, about 1 hour or so. Remove the gizzards from the pan with a slotted spoon, transfer to a cutting board, and chop coarsely. Set the gizzards aside.

Pour the remaining broth (about 5 cups) into a saucepan and bring to a simmer; adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the remaining diced onion and sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the rice and stir until opaque, about 3 minutes. Add a ladleful (about 1 cup) of the simmering broth and stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the broth is absorbed. Reduce the heat and continue to add the broth a ladleful at a time, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding the next, until the rice kernels are al dente at the center and creamy on the outside, 18 to 20 minutes in all.

Just before the rice is ready, stir in the gizzards tomatoes and warm through. Transfer to a warmed serving dish and garnish with the freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano and flat leaf parsley. Serve immediately