Okay, so it’s not really a rice, but the only truly native North American grain. It grows in lakes and bays in relatively shallow water, and is harvested in the autumn. Non-cultivated wild rice — truly “wild” rice — must be harvested according to traditional Native American methods, and by people certified to do so. Basically every small town in central and northern Minnesota has some roadside stand that sells locally harvested wild rice.
Wild rice is a great source of fiber, magnesium, and potassium, but I love wild rice for its rich nutty flavour and its chewy/crunchy texture. The only problem with wild rice is that it takes a long time to cook – at least 45 minutes. And it usually boils over while cooking. What a mess! I might be a lazy cook, but I don’t want to worry about stirring the rice or cleaning up the stove after cooking. But I want a guarantee that the rice will be perfect every time.
I also want rice to be ready to throw into soup, mix into a salad, or bake in a casserole. Convenient options include canned wild rice (gross!), or making it in large quantities and freezing it. I’ll take Door #2! Maybe I’m a control freak, but I want to decide how much salt is going to be mixed in with my wild rice. And I choose LITTLE TO NONE.
Enter — the pressure cooker. Yup. Again! This makes wild rice so perfectly flavourful, beautiful, and simple. Just rinse the wild rice, then add water. I like to add onion and garlic powders for flavour, and only a little salt.
Once the rice has cooked and cooled, put it into freezer bags or containers in amounts you would normally use in a recipe (I put 1 1/2 to 2 cups of wild rice into each bag). Then, when the urge hits for a tasty dish with wild rice, your prep time is cut in half. Brilliant!
Print
Wild Rice
Description
Make ahead for a quick addition to many recipes
Ingredients
- 2 cups wild rice (fancy or broken), rinsed well
- 6 cups water
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
Instructions
- Rinse the rice well and put all ingredients into the pressure cooker.
- Cook on high for 22 minutes.
- Allow pressure to release naturally (give it at least 15 minutes to sit).
- Stir. Once rice is cooled, package rice to be frozen for at least a year.
