Learn to cook dinner wild rice on the stovetop! With its chewy texture and nutty taste, this entire grain is scrumptious in salads, aspect dishes, and extra.
Wild rice is considered one of my favourite entire grains to cook dinner within the fall. Its chewy texture and nutty taste make it an ideal associate for seasonal produce like candy roasted squash and earthy root veggies. As a result of I’ve discovered myself getting ready it loads currently, I assumed I’d take in the present day’s put up to provide you some background on it. I’m additionally sharing a foolproof stovetop cooking technique and a few of my favourite wild rice recipes.
What’s wild rice?
You would possibly suppose, given its title, that this entire grain is a relative of the white or brown rice you’d discover alongside it on the grocery retailer. In truth, wild rice isn’t rice in any respect, however a sort 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 this moment, additionally it is cultivated commercially in america and Canada.
Wild rice, known as manoomin in Ojibwe, has important cultural significance to the Indigenous peoples of the Nice Lakes. It’s a part of the Anishinaabe creation story, and traditionally, it supplied important sustenance all through the higher Midwest’s chilly winters. Indigenous individuals proceed to hand-harvest naturally occurring wild rice across the Nice Lakes in the present day, knocking the grass with picket sticks in order that it releases the grains of rice into their canoes. If you wish to be taught extra concerning the rice’s historical past and cultural significance, I like to recommend studying this text or this one. You should purchase hand-harvested rice from Native Harvest in Minnesota right here.
Cook dinner Wild Rice
Hand-harvested wild rice might be gentle or darkish in shade, whereas the cultivated type is at all times darkish brown or black. This cooking technique will work with both kind, however notice that hand-harvested rice tends to cook dinner extra shortly. Relying on the range, it may be prepared in as little as 20 minutes, whereas the cultivated wild rice you’d discover on the grocery retailer will possible want 50 or extra.
- Begin by bringing a medium pot or saucepan of water to a boil. No want to fret a couple of particular rice-to-water ratio for this recipe. We’re going to make use of what I name “The Pasta Methodology,” which simply implies that we’ll cook dinner the rice in a pot of boiling water. Whereas the water involves a boil, place the rice in a nice mesh strainer and rinse it nicely.
- Then, add the rinsed rice to the boiling water. Cut back the warmth in order that the water maintains a mild boil. Simmer till the rice is tender however nonetheless has a slight chunk, usually 35 to 55 minutes, although the cooking time could possibly be kind of relying in your rice. A few of the grains will begin to cut 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 sit down for 10 minutes, turning into absolutely 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 aspect dish by itself. After 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 contemporary parsley.
It’s an awesome addition to bigger salads, soups, and aspect dishes as nicely. Attempt utilizing it in any of those recipes:
It will even be a beautiful gluten-free different to the wheat berries on this autumn wheat berry salad recipe.
Extra Complete Grains to Attempt
In case you love this wild rice recipe, strive considered one of these entire grains subsequent:
Cook dinner Wild Rice
Serves 4
This technique for the right way to cook dinner wild rice will work for each hand-harvested and commercially cultivated rice, although the cooking time can range extensively. I discover that it usually takes 35 to 55 minutes for each varieties, 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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Deliver a medium pot of water to a boil over excessive warmth. Add the rice, scale back the warmth to a mild 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 cut 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
