Wild rice isn’t really a rice—it’s a grain—and the best of it comes from Native Americans in the upper Midwest who harvest it in the traditional way, beating the ripened grains into their canoes at harvest time. The cultivated variety is all right and takes a little less time to cook, but it doesn’t have the texture of the wild variety. Evan, being a loyal Minnesotan, always sent for wild rice from Blackduck, Minnesota, and I have kept up the tradition, ordering Slindee wild rice, as the producers are now known. It takes about an hour for wild rice to cook, so it’s not for a quick dinner. But it reheats perfectly, and I always make extra and enjoy it in a number of ways.
Ingredients
Preparation
Rinse the rice in water, rubbing it through your fingertips. Drain, and put it in a small, heavy pot with 3 cups cold water or broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to a lively simmer. Set the cover askew, and cook, checking and adding more water if needed. After 50 minutes, taste—if the grain is tender and the liquid absorbed, it’s done; if not, cook another 5–10 minutes.
