How best to serve wild rice?

[AlexR]

Please notice that my question is not "how to prepare".
That's easy enough.

I had a visiting friend from North Carolina who complemented me because I had - unwittingly - mixed wild rice with white rice (my stock of wild rice was almost gone).
He said there was "no way" you should serve wild rice on its own as it is too chewey and strong.

Right or wrong, I'd be interested to hear from anyone on the forum how they serve wild rice, most especially in what context, with what food, and in what way.

Thanks in advance,
Best regards,
Alex R.

 

[SierraCook]

I typically have wild rice mixed with other grains. I buy a blend of brown basmati rice, long grain brown rice, and wild rice. I cook my rice in chicken or vegetable broth for a little more flavor. I usually serve it as a side dish with chicken or pork.

 

[Piccolina]

I’m a big wild rice fan! If I’m serving it as a substantial part of the meal I will often mix it with some brown rice (or other type), but if it is just a little nibble on the side of a meal I leave it as is. Personally I love it so much that I can (and have) happily eat it on it’s own. A lot of the “chewiness” diminishes if you cook it long enough (and even less is present the with leftovers the next day).

One of my favourite things to serve wild rice with is asparagus; they just seem to have an affinity for each other.

 

[thumpershere2]

I make wild rice hot dish alot in place of potatos and wild rice soup and it makes a great dressing for chicken ot turkey. I use only the brown wild tice . It grows here and is harvested here from the many lakes and rivers.You need to rinse wild rice several times and the best way to do that I found out is to put rice and water in a pan and bring to a boil and then put in a strainer. Do this about 3 times, takes the bitter tast out and leaves you with great rice to cook. I always cook my wild rice with chicken broth instead of water also.

 

[Claire]

I agree that it is hard to cook wild rice and regular together, but serving? Why not either separately or together. I also cook it longer than regular rice to make it more tender, but chewy works for me, too. AND I agree that it is best cooked in a poultry broth/stock. I usually do mix both regular and wild, but don't have a problem with plain, you just tend to eat less.

I'll never forget when I first moved to Hawaii, a young woman had just come back from her first trip to the mainland, to MN. "Claire, they served us sticks in the restaurants and called it rice!" I laughed so hard! At that time 99% of the rice you ate there was short-grain, usually CalRose, and, in her 20s, she'd never had anything else except for Basmati or Jasmine in Thai or Indian restaurants.

 

[foodaholic]

Please notice that my question is not "how to prepare".
That's easy enough.

I had a visiting friend from North Carolina who complemented me because I had - unwittingly - mixed wild rice with white rice (my stock of wild rice was almost gone).
He said there was "no way" you should serve wild rice on its own as it is too chewey and strong.

Right or wrong, I'd be interested to hear from anyone on the forum how they serve wild rice, most especially in what context, with what food, and in what way.

Thanks in advance,
Best regards,
Alex R.

If you look at wild rice geograhically it comes from the great lakes region mostly Ontario and Michigan.I'm sure everyone knows that's it's actually not a rice but a grass seed found in marshes.Indiginous Indians would harvest wild rice in their
canoe's.Anyway,if you look at the other plant and animal life common to those regions you'll find all sorts of wild game and fish that will work with wild rice,especially duck
and venison.

As far as taste and texture goes wild rice to me has a very earthy,dusty note to it and chewy,so you really need a protein that will stand up to these caracteristics. Cranberries which are harvested in a similar fasion would
in their dried form be a good addition to wild rice giving that low note I spoke of a counterpoint,and I agree a stock will give wild rice more flavour.

So, your friend is right to a certain extent,wild rice has a very heady aroma once in the mouth and you do have to be careful what you serve with it.I use wild rice with a combo of other ingredients for a stuffing for wild game that's not bad.But on it's own just cooked in water,it's very overpowering and also can have a dry aftertaste,so the fruit dried cranberries,cherries,apple that kind of thing tones it down.Personally I would never mix wild rice with another rice,that's mostly for economical reasons and addresses the powerful taste which when diluted is not as noticable.But that's just me,it's done all the time with great results.
But really why do that,just showcase and prepare it a little differently.Combine wild ramps,mushrooms a few herbs and some dried fruit that you would find growing along side.
But to serve a 6 ounce portion as a side dish like a regular rice portion can be very dominant and one dimenional.

 

[Constance]

I buy the Uncle Ben's long grain & wild rice mix...it's great with any sort of poultry.
One thing I like to do is to use it as a bed for roasted Rock Cornish game hens. I add mushrooms, a few baby carrots and chicken broth to the rice, rub the hens with olive oil, S&P, sage and a little thyme, put all in a roasting pan, cover and cook at 350 until hens are falling apart tender. It's great with fresh asparagus!

 

[Robo410]

I always put it with something...brown rice, or in a soup, or with mirepoix (savory veggies small chop carrot celery onion and broth) but it is so addaptable and flavorful.
It even bakes well into multi grain breads!

 

[jennyema]

Personal preference is to mix it with white or brown rice.