Instructions

1. Unwrap the packet of giblets and rinse them under cool, running water. Pat the giblets dry with paper towels.

2. Trim any fat and membrane from the giblets using a kitchen knife. Cut away the green sac, or gallbladder, from the liver, if it's there. The green of the gallbladder stands out against the dark maroon and mauve of the other organs, making it hard to miss.

3. Sweat about 1 cup of white mirepoix -- 2 parts chopped white onions to 1 part each chopped leeks and celery -- for every set of giblets in a saucepan until translucent and soft. You can use any fat to sweat the mirepoix in, but flavorless oil produces the purest-tasting stock. Stir the white mirepoix occasionally with a wooden spoon.

4. Pour 3 or 4 cups of water in the saucepan for every set of giblets and stir. Add the gizzard, kidneys and heart to the saucepan. Set the liver aside.

5. Add the aromatic ingredients to the stock. The goal is to impart subtle flavors and aromas to the stock -- nothing too overpowering. A dried California bay leaf, one or two black peppercorns and a few parsley stems are enough for a set of giblets when making a stock.

6. Bring the giblets to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the giblets, uncovered, until they pierce easily with a skewer or paring knife and the water reduces by one-half.

7. Finely mince the chicken liver and cook it over medium-high in a saute pan using the same fat you used for the mirepoix. Saute the liver until cooked through, about four or five minutes, and set it aside.

8. Strain the stock through a colander lined with cheesecloth. Remove the meat from the neck by hand, and chop it along with the heart, kidneys and gizzard. Discard the neck bones.

9. Set the chopped giblets aside. Pour the broth back in the saucepan and season it to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Keep the broth warm on the stove and add it to the pan drippings after you roast the chicken.