Chicken wild rice stew

[jenett]

Just in case anyone wants the recipe...



Wild rice is a local-to-Minnesota plant thingy. I don't know how accessible it is in other places. This recipe also makes quite a bit of food - I make it in a big stew pot, and eat the leftovers for several days. It's a recipe that improves on storage. It's also one of those with lots of potential variation. (I suspect you could do a vegetarian version, but you'd want more veggie things for flavor.)

Ingrediants:

1.25 cups wild rice.
About 4 cups chicken broth (I use stuff from a jar you add to water)
1 onion
a few chicken breasts (1-2 big ones, 3-4 small ones)
mushrooms (I used a can this time, 8oz weight when drained. I've also used fresh.)
1 pint half-and-half
some lemon juice
(optional) a little wine (I use red)

Cooking implements which are useful:
Large stew pot
Frying pan
Food processor
Something to put the onions in
Storage containers
Measuring cup

Process:

Start by rinsing the rice, and putting it and the chicken broth in the stew pot. Bring to a boil (this'll take a bit). You'll want to turn it down to low once it boils.

While it's coming to a boil, cut up your onion. If you have a food processor, make it into onion mush (I like this better, because it absorbs more liquid flavor from the broth) Add to the stew pot.

Add the mushrooms. If not canned, broil them in the frying pan first (you can do the onions this way, too).

Either cook the mushrooms and/or onions in the wine, or add it to the pot now if you want to use it.

While this is going on: cook your chicken (I do a little oil and a frying pan) Flip occaisionally.

When the chicken is done, let it cool enough to cut easily, then break it up into small pieces and add to the stew pot.

Cover the pot. Let it simmer for a long time. (This usually takes me between an hour and three hours. Yes, this is a substantial project.) Stir maybe every half hour or so.

When the liquid is all absorbed into the rice (this is why this takes a while), turn off the heat, and add the pint of half-and-half. Add a little lemon juice to taste. (I get the little lemony shaped thingie, and squirt it three times in a circle around the edge of the stew pot, but that's me.)

Serve. Would go nicely with rolls. Or on its own.

Comments

[faeryguinevere.livejournal.com]

So yummy! I make a very similar recipe (it's my mom's) but I use sherry (white cooking wine) instead of red and omit the lemon. It's tasty! And would you believe that I was able to convert it into vegetarian wild rice soup with a very similar result - mmmm!

[jenett]

Tasting is going very well (and the cracked wild rice seems to be cooking up faster, which is not a bad thing, in this case.)

I do the lemon because when I was first playing with the recipe, it didn't quite taste right - it needed a little more tartness or something, for contrast, which the lemon provides.ˇ

[leanne-opaskar.livejournal.com]

Idle thought ... have you ever tried carmelizing the onions thoroughly when you make this? It would add a different taste than just sautéing them.

Just in my brain because I made French onion soup the other week ... granted, it takes time to do, but then, I find the effort worth it when I have the time. (:

[jenett]

Ooh. No, I haven't tried it like that yet, but will think about it for the other batch I'll do next weekend. (I got enough for two large batches, so...)

Do you think I'd want to add the onions later in the process, then, or just dump them in as soon as they're cooked? When I food-process them to mush, I do that right at the beginining, and just dump the mush in with the rice and broth.

[leanne-opaskar.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I think you could put them in when they were done carmelizing with no bad side-effects. I'd suggest small or medium dice instead of the food processor for carmelization, just because I suspect that the food processor might break down the onion too much and not leave you much to carmelize.

Alternatively, you could start by carmelizing the onions in your stock pot, and then add the broth and wine on top of that, scraping up the browned bits. I kinda like that idea better ... the browned bits add a lot of flavor. When you're done scraping, you could add the rice and the rest of the ingredients.

It is worth noting that this will add probably 20-30 minutes or so to your cook time ... that's about how long it takes for me to get them nice and dark, in my experience.

[jenett]

Oooh. That does sound like a good idea, yes. I'll give it a try for the other batch.

Now, just to try and remember which pot would be better. (I have two, one is non-stick coating on the bottom, the other is stainless, no coating stuff. I'm thinking the non-stick might be better.)0

[leanne-opaskar.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that I don't know. I don't actually own any non-stick pans, not even skillets. (: I have cast-iron skillets instead. I suspect you'll just have to try it out and see. (: