Go Wild with Rice

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Given the environmental and social costs of commercially grown wild rice, it is best to forgo the cheap tub of wild rice from the grocery store and purchase hand-picked wild rice from a traditional producer instead. Unless you live in Minnesota, there probably aren't any local wild rice farmers in your area, but you can easily purchase wild rice on-line from one of the following sites (among others):

Bois Forte Indian Reservation in Minnesota www.boisfortednr.com/wildrice/index.html

Kagiwiosa Manomin, an Ojibway owned and operated cooperative in Canada www.canadianwildrice.com

White Earth Land Recovery Project www.nativeharvest.com

Unlike other grains that are sold in both whole and refined forms, wild rice is always sold as a whole grain. It is an excellent source of B vitamins and provides minerals including manganese, zinc and magnesium as well as fiber and protein.

Cooking wild rice is more of an art than a science. While other grains require a set amount of water per cup of grain, individual batches of wild rice vary greatly in the amount of water needed to properly cook them. When cooking wild rice, start with two cups of water per cup of grain, but check the pot often as it cooks. You may have to add more water during cooking or drain off excess water if the grain cooks fully before all the water is absorbed.

Properly cooked wild rice has grains that are slightly popped open but have not started to curl. The grain should be tender with a slightly toothy exterior. There are two methods that are best suited to cooking wild rice.

Simmering Method
Combine wild rice, salt and water or stock in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat to medium-low. Once the grain has cooked for about 30 minutes, check it frequently to determine if it is done. If the grain is still tough once all the liquid is absorbed, add more and continue cooking until the kernels are tender. If the grain is tender before all the liquid has been absorbed, simply drain off the excess.

Pasta Method
This method is the easiest way to cook wild rice. Use four cups of water for every cup of rice. In a saucepot, bring the water and some salt to a rapid boil. Add the wild rice and allow it to continue cooking at a boil, uncovered, until the grain is tender and some of the kernels have split open. Once the grain is cooked, drain off the excess liquid. The problem with this method is that water soluble vitamins and minerals are lost to the cooking water and discarded when the excess liquid is drained off. The benefit is that you don't have to worry about the exact water to grain ratio.

The following recipes are reprinted with permission from Whole Grains Every Day Every Way by Lorna Sass (Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2006). Ms. Sass is the award-winning author of more than a dozen cookbooks, including the bestselling Cooking Under Pressure. She holds a doctorate in medieval literature from Columbia University and lives in New York City. Visit her site at www.LornaSass.com.