The call of the wild: flavorful wild rice is perfect for the holiday table—or weeknight meals - Holiday Entertaining

Sunset, Nov, 2003 by Molly Watson

Growing up in Minnesota, I ate a lot of wild rice: as the backbone of nutty autumn side dishes; stuffed in poultry during the holidays; in rich soups and casseroles in the winter; or tossed with peas in spring or summer. My grandmother even added it to pancake batter. Now that I live in California, where wild rice is cultivated in abundance, I use it almost as often.

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Wild rice--actually an aquatic grass--was once harvested by canoe in Minnesota, and it was correspondingly pricey. With cultivation on the rise, however, it is now moderately priced and widely available. Our recipes and easy cooking ideas (at left) allow the full, earthy flavor of pure wild rice to shine through. Equally at home in a Thanksgiving feast or a weeknight dinner, and wonderful in both a tangy salad with cranberries and a homey Chinese-style congee, wild rice is as versatile as it is delicious.

Wild Rice Congee

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

NOTES: This easy twist on traditional Chinese rice porridge makes a wonderful one-dish supper on a cold night. If desired, top with shredded leftover meat, such as roast chicken, duck, or pork. Baked tofu, found in the refrigerator case of natural-food stores and many supermarkets, is available in several flavors; any will work here.

MAKES: 2 or 3 servings

  1/2 cup long-grain white rice

  1/2 cup wild rice, rinsed and drained

    1 quart fat-skimmed low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine or sake

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  1/8 teaspoon hot chili flakes

  1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

  1/4 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

    1 cake (8 oz.) baked tofu, shredded
      or diced (see notes)

    1 or 2 green onions, rinsed and thinly sliced

  1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
      Fried shallots (recipe follows)

1. In a 3- to 4-quart pan, combine white rice, wild rice, broth, rice wine, salt, chili flakes, ginger, garlic, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover and reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook (without stirring) until the white rice has disintegrated into a thick, oatmeal-like porridge and the wild rice has split open and is very tender, about 45 minutes.

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2. Ladle into deep bowls and top with baked tofu, green onions, cilantro, and fried shallots to taste.

Per serving: 432 cal., 21% (90 cal.) from fat; 33 g protein; 10 g fat (1.1 g sat.); 53 g carbo (4.1 g fiber); 610 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Fried shallots. In a 6- to 8-inch frying pan over medium heat, stir 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until crisp and golden, 6 to 10 minutes (shallots will absorb most of the oil).

Per tablespoon: 45 cal., 69% (31 cal.) from fat; 0.5 g protein; 3.4 g fat (0.4 g sat.); 3.4 g carbo (0.2 g fiber); 2.4 mg sodium; 0 mg chol.

Wild Rice and Cranberry Salad

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour, plus at least 4 hours to chill

NOTES: This holiday salad is best made several hours (or up to 1 day) in advance. Allow the salad to come to room temperature and garnish just before serving. Cutting the cranberries in half (step 2) is time-consuming, but it makes a big difference in the texture of the finished salad. The cranberries may be steeped in sugar syrup (step 3) up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill in syrup (cranberries' color will deepen).

MAKES: 4 to 6 servings

  1 cup wild rice

  1 tablespoon salt

3/4 cup walnuts

  8 ounces (2 cups) fresh
    or thawed frozen cranberries

1/2 cup sugar

  3 tablespoons walnut or vegetable oil

  1 tablespoon raspberry or rice vinegar

  3 green onions, rinsed and chopped
    (including green tops)

1/2 cup dried cranberries, roughly
    chopped (optional)

1. In a 4- to 6-quart pan, combine wild rice, salt, and 1 quart water. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat, and simmer until rice is tender to bite and most grains have just split open, 45 to 60 minutes. Drain in a colander and let cool.

2. Meanwhile, spread walnuts in a baking pan and toast in a 325[degrees] regular or convection oven until lightly golden under skins, about 10 minutes. Coarsely chop. Sort cranberries, discarding any stems and bruised or decayed fruit; cut each cranberry in half (see notes).

3. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over medium-high heat, stir the sugar and 1/2 cup water until the sugar is dissolved and mixture boils. Remove from heat; stir in the halved cranberries. Gently stir occasionally until insides of cranberries have turned red but are still firm, 8 to 12 minutes (see notes). Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl, reserving the cranberry-sugar syrup.

4. In a large bowl, gently mix wild rice, cranberry halves, oil, and vinegar. Stir in 2 tablespoons cranberry syrup; taste and add up to 1/4 cup more syrup to sweeten and moisten salad as desired (reserve remaining syrup for other uses). Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or up to 1 day (see notes).

5. Stir in all but 2 tablespoons of the green onions, along with the walnuts and dried cranberries (if using). Sprinkle with remaining green onions just before serving.