Brine-Braised Giblets (Куриные желудки в рассоле)

When I was little, whenever we had roast chicken, I begged for the pupik, which my grandmother said was the belly button. I never stopped to think whether chickens could actually have belly buttons—it was simply the part I loved most. Many years later, when I started studying Russian, I learned that the word for “belly button” is pupok! So there was the linguistic connection, even if the physiology remained suspect.  

I wish we had a different word for “gizzards,” which sounds as tough and gnarly as, well, a chicken’s stomach, which is what they are. Both the Russian pupok and Yiddish pupik sound alliterative and playful, something you might want to eat even if you didn’t know what it was. Please don’t let the word “gizzards” deter you from making this recipe. When braised in a tart brine, gizzards are truly delectable! This is an easy dish to serve guests, as it can be made a day in advance and reheated. Cooked barley is a perfect side to soak up the rich sauce.