Wild rice has a distinctive flavor and chewy texture that pairs well with other grains as well as mushrooms, squash and vegetables. Wild rice is very versatile and is also fabulous in salads and soups.
Yield: about 3 cups
Ingredients
- ¾ cup wild rice*
- 4 cups water
Instructions
- Wash the rice and drain off the excess water.
- Add rice and water to pot and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and maintain a steady low simmer. Allow 55 to 65 minutes to cook. (see notes below)
- When cooked, the kernels will be split open and will be curled. The inside layer will be soft and the outer layer will have some texture. I find it’s best to do a taste test. You want a chewy texture but it shouldn’t stick to your teeth.
- Empty rice into a strainer to drain off excess cooking water. Leave sit uncovered for 7-10 minutes then fluff and serve. If using in a salad, put cooled rice in an air tight container and keep in the fridge overnight.
- Use wild rice within 5 days or freeze.
Note
- Do not add salt until grain is cooked. Adding salt at the beginning will harden the outer bran and prevent water absorption.
- Cooking time can vary depending on how long the kernels are, how the rice was cured, and how old it is. Your stove and your simmer temperature will also be a factor.
- Wild rice will triple to quadruple in volume. ¾ cup wild rice will make about 3 cups cooked. When cooking, use a ratio of 1:5.
- Wild rice is low in fat, high in nutrients and offers good quality protein.
- Take note when purchasing. Look at the kernels. With low quality wild rice, the kernels will be shorter and there will be more broken kernels. In high quality wild rice, the kernels will be longer and there will be few broken kernels.
- Consider saving the cooking water as it is full of nutrients and flavor which can be used in soups and casseroles.