Homemade sides complete the meal
By Metro Creative
Entrées may get all the glory, but meals are not truly complete unless main courses are accompanied by some delicious side dishes. Dinner party hosts who want to prepare homemade sides as opposed to premade store-bought side dishes can consider the following recipe for “Wild Rice With Mushrooms” courtesy of Richard Grausman’s “French Classics Made Easy” (Workman).
Wild Rice With Mushrooms
Serves 8
8 ounces wild rice, rinsed in cold water
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion or 3 shallots, chopped
3/4 pound cultivated or wild mushrooms, washed, dried and chopped
4 chicken livers, chopped (optional; see note)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
10 sprigs parsley, chopped
1. Place the wild rice in a large saucepan with 5 quarts of water. Bring to a boil and cook until the rice grains open and are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and rinse the rice under cold water. Set aside.
2. In a 12-inch skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, turn the heat to high, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the livers and cook quickly, about 30 seconds. Season with the salt and pepper and add the mixture to the rice. Stir in the parsley; taste and adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
3. Reheat the rice mixture, covered, in a water bath (bain-marie) or in a 200 F oven until hot, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve.
Note: The liver can be left out, but if you like liver and you’re serving squabs, ducks or game birds, use their livers in the recipe. If you are serving this dish with game birds, in addition to using the liver from the bird in place of the chicken livers, also add 1/4 teaspoon thyme to the mushrooms while they are cooking. You can also sprinkle the rice with a tablespoon or two of Madeira when reheating it.
