Fruited Wild Rice
Jill Nussinow
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups wild rice
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup chopped dried raisins, cranberries and tart cherries, or your favorites
- Apple juice, red wine or sherry to cover the dried fruit
- 2 small apples, peeled, cored, cut in half crosswise and sliced thinly
- 1 large pear, peeled, cored and sliced
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds or other nuts
- 2 tablespoons apple juice
- 1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Cook wild rice in the water for 55 to 60 minutes until the rice grains are split open (or cook in the pressure cooker with 3 cups water for 25 minutes at high pressure with a natural pressure release). When done, drain rice from cooking water and put in a large bowl.
While the rice is cooking, soak the dried fruit in apple juice, red wine or sherry to cover. Drain fruit after 30 minutes and set aside. (You can save the red wine or
sherry in the refrigerator for future soaking, use it in salad dressing, for a stir-fry or an after dinner drink.) Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat and sauté apples, pears and almonds about 2 minutes. Add the apple juice and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Add 1 tablespoon syrup, spices, cooked wild rice, drained fruit and salt to taste.
Cook together another few minutes, stirring. Correct seasonings, adding lots of pepper if you like it. Remove from heat. Serve mounded on a plate or stuff into a partially prebaked squash and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 30 to 45 minutes until the squash is thoroughly cooked and the filling is hot.
Recipe Note
Based on a recipe found in Gourmet Vegetarian Feasts, Martha Rose Shulman, Thorsons, 1987. Serve as a side dish or stuff a squash such as kabocha, buttercup, white pumpkin or numerous delicata or sweet dumpling with this mixture. It’s addictively delicious.
