Food Waste Challenge, Week 1

I didn't officially sign up for Crunchy Chicken's Food Waste Reduction Challenge, but have decided to participate, unofficially. Because, participating unofficially might mean I won't feel so bad when I end up throwing away food.

So, from my spotty memory, my tally is as follows:

- one baked chicken skin

- one failed recipe involving said chicken's giblets in a gravy (1.5 tbsp of butter, 1-2 cups of water, a quarter of an onion and about 2.5 tbsp of flour)

- total of about half an onion boiled for various stocks, then tossed

I'm sure that there had to be more, but that is what I can remember. And it was all from this weekend.

Speaking of giblets in gravy: this was my first attempt at it, and I was following a recipe from my Joy of Cooking. Usually, I find these recipes to be fool-proof, and good guides. As always, I didn't quite follow it, though, because I didn't have everything the recipe wanted. What I did was:

- Bring water to a boil, add diced giblets, reduce to a simmer for an hour, or until tender. I added a quarter of left over onion I had.

- After an hour, remove/drain giblets (and onion). Reserve giblets (not the onion).

- Make gravy with about 1 cup of reserved stock, about 2 tbsp of butter and 2 tbsp of flour.

- At this point, I proceeded like one does when making sausage gravy - whisking out lumps and such. 

- Add giblets (and the veggies it called for in the real recipe).

- Serve on toast.

I tried it straight from a spoon. Added salt and pepper to taste. Tried it on a leftover biscuit. Decided that I had added too much flour, and that the gravy was dangerously close to glue. That and I didn't think that either husband and I would eat it. Especially not with fresh chicken, and other, better leftovers ready to be consumed.

I decided against saving it to be doctored up at a later date because, as close as it was to glue then, I was sure that it would become a solid after any amount of time in the fridge. So... Bye-bye, giblets.

In case you are curious, here's a fuzzy picture of a diced giblet in gravy. If you step back and squint, that'll probably help.

Next time, I think I'll stick with simply making my own stock from the giblets.

What have you done with chicken or turkey giblets? Or necks?

And, how are you doing with the Food Waste Reduction Challenge at your house?