Learn to cook dinner wild rice on the stovetop! With its chewy texture and nutty taste, this complete grain is scrumptious in salads, facet dishes, and extra.
Wild rice is one in every of my favourite complete grains to cook dinner within the fall. Its chewy texture and nutty taste make it an ideal companion for seasonal produce like candy roasted squash and earthy root veggies. As a result of I’ve discovered myself making ready it quite a bit currently, I assumed I’d take at the moment’s submit to offer you some background on it. I’m additionally sharing a foolproof stovetop cooking methodology and a few of my favourite wild rice recipes.
What’s wild rice?
You would possibly assume, given its title, that this complete grain is a relative of the white or brown rice you’d discover alongside it on the grocery retailer. In actual fact, wild rice isn’t rice in any respect, however a kind of aquatic grass. It’s indigenous to the Nice Lakes area of North America, the place it grows naturally in freshwater lakes and waterways. Right now, it is usually cultivated commercially in the US and Canada.
Wild rice, referred to as manoomin in Ojibwe, has important cultural significance to the Indigenous peoples of the Nice Lakes. It is part of the Anishinaabe creation story, and traditionally, it offered important sustenance all through the higher Midwest’s chilly winters. Indigenous folks proceed to hand-harvest naturally occurring wild rice across the Nice Lakes at the moment, knocking the grass with wood sticks in order that it releases the grains of rice into their canoes. If you wish to be taught extra in regards to the rice’s historical past and cultural significance, I like to recommend studying this article or this one. You should purchase hand-harvested rice from Native Harvest in Minnesota here.
The right way to Cook dinner Wild Rice
Hand-harvested wild rice might be mild or darkish in shade, whereas the cultivated variety is all the time darkish brown or black. This cooking methodology will work with both kind, however notice that hand-harvested rice tends to cook dinner extra rapidly. Relying on the range, it is likely to be prepared in as little as 20 minutes, whereas the cultivated wild rice you’d discover on the grocery retailer will seemingly want 50 or extra.
- Begin by bringing a medium pot or saucepan of water to a boil. No want to fret a few particular rice-to-water ratio for this recipe. We’re going to make use of what I name “The Pasta Methodology,” which simply signifies that we’ll cook dinner the rice in a pot of boiling water. Whereas the water involves a boil, place the rice in a fantastic mesh strainer and rinse it effectively.
- Then, add the rinsed rice to the boiling water. Scale back the warmth in order that the water maintains a delicate boil. Simmer till the rice is tender however nonetheless has a slight chunk, usually 35 to 55 minutes, although the cooking time might be roughly relying in your rice. Among the grains will begin to break up open barely.
- Lastly, let the rice steam. Drain off the liquid, return the rice to the pot, and canopy it with a clear dishtowel. Place the lid on the pot, and permit the rice to take a seat for 10 minutes, turning into totally tender and fluffy.
Fluff with a fork, and revel in!
Favourite Wild Rice Recipes
With its nutty taste and chewy texture, the cooked rice is a scrumptious facet dish by itself. Once I serve it actually merely, I costume it with olive oil, pinches of salt, and freshly floor black pepper and toss it with some chopped recent parsley.
It’s a terrific addition to bigger salads, soups, and facet dishes as effectively. Strive utilizing it in any of those recipes:
It might even be a stunning gluten-free different to the wheat berries on this autumn wheat berry salad recipe.
Extra Complete Grains to Strive
If you happen to love this wild rice recipe, strive one in every of these complete grains subsequent:
The right way to Cook dinner Wild Rice
Serves 4
This methodology for cook dinner wild rice will work for each hand-harvested and commercially cultivated rice, although the cooking time can differ broadly. I discover that it usually takes 35 to 55 minutes for each sorts, although hand-harvested rice might have much less time (begin checking at 20 minutes in case you have light-colored rice) and cultivated rice might have extra, as a lot as 70 minutes.
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
- Pot of water
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Carry a medium pot of water to a boil over excessive warmth. Add the rice, cut back the warmth to a delicate boil, and cook dinner till the rice is tender however nonetheless has a slight chunk, usually 35 to 55 minutes. The grains will begin to break up open barely.
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Drain and return the rice to the pot. Cowl with a clear dish towel after which place the lid on the pot. Let steam for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Yield: About 3 cups cooked wild rice
