Use this rice stuffing with game hens, chicken, or turkey.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup wild rice
3 cups chicken or turkey stock (or water)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (divided)
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 apple, such as a Golden Delicious or Fuji, peeled, cored, and chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries (optional, but very nice!)
2 celery stalks with leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Pinch ground mace or nutmeg
Freshly coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 pound fresh Italian-style sausage, casings removed
1/2 cup pecan pieces, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
METHOD:
In a medium saucepan with a lid, combine the wild rice, stock (or water), and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid, and simmer until the rice is tender and just bursting about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, apple, dried cherries (if using), celery, garlic, thyme, and mace, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until it loses most of its rosy color, but not so much that it’s dry, about 5 minutes more. Stir in the cooked wild rice, pecans, and parsley into the vegetable mixture. Serve warm.
YIELD: 8 servings, 2/3 cup each.
