| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 15 min |
| Active: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup natural wild rice
- Fine sea salt
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 7 tablespoons salted butter
- 2 cups diced celery (from 5 stalks)
- 2 cups diced sweet onion (from 1 large)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup shelled salted pistachios, crushed
- 8 ounces fresh chestnuts, roasted, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Put the wild rice in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it under cold running water, swishing the rice with your hands until the water runs clear. Transfer the rice to a medium bowl and add water to cover. Pour off any black bits or floating kernels, and then pour the rice back into the sieve to drain.
- Cook the rices separately: Combine the wild rice with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, reduce the heat to low and steam until the rice is tender and curling into a C shape, 20 to 25 minutes.
- At the same time, combine the basmati rice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 3/4 cups water in another small saucepan. Bring to a simmer, cover tightly, reduce the heat to low, and steam until the rice is tender, 25 minutes.
- Combine the rices in a large bowl and cover tightly.
- Cook the vegetable base: Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery and onion and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are limp but still bright, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Pour the vegetables over the rice, scraping the pan for the juices, and stir to combine. Add the pistachios, chestnuts and parsley and mix thoroughly. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 326 |
| Total Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 45 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 3 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 27 mg |
| Sodium | 347 mg |
Reviews
I made for Thanksgiving but it’s simple enough to make on a weeknight and lovely accompaniment to any roast poultry. I didn’t have Chestnuts. I added roasted salted pistachios instead and it was the flavor bomb this dish needed. Really it was so lovely and sophisticated. Felt like a fine dining restaurant dish. Highly recommend this one.
I made this recipe and we all loved it. I added pine nuts and slivered almonds. With the other nuts.
This recipe, which I followed closely lacked any flavor. No flavored stock, cooking time for wild rice was too short, very disappointing. Follow your gut, use chicken or beef stock to cook the rices in and add chopped green onion before serving.
Made this for Xmas Eve and it was awesome! It’s worth it to roast and use Chestnuts (I just googled how to roast them and it was easy and didn’t take that long – and they sell chestnuts at the grocery store around the holidays – at least here in the suburbs of Philadelphia). I thought chestnuts would be bitter for some reason (I can’t recall ever actually having them), but they were mild and slightly sweet and a softer texture than a typical nut. I think that texture was part of what made this dish so good. The only modification I made is that I used all wild black rice because I have a 9.5 month old crawling around and I was trying to make life easier for myself–I use the Simply Balanced microwaveable wild rice packets – there’s no added salt or any other ingredient and they’re ready in 90 seconds. Perfect! That also saved me from using a bunch of stock. I made this with Ina Garten’s prime rib roast and Ina’s sautéed wild mushrooms, which paired amazingly well with this dish (and my husband hates mushrooms so he was free to avoid them if he wanted since they weren’t mixed in with the rice). I also made her balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts with pancetta (which my husband loved), but all together, I thought it was too rich. Next time, I’ll make a brighter crisper green veggie to go with the meal instead of the sprouts.
This is so simple, yet so complex. Love the earthy flavors and hearty texture. My favorite rice dish!
Made this for Christmas Eve dinner to serve with Beef Bourguignon. Was delicious…received lots of compliments. Couldn’t find chestnuts to roast, so I substituted water chestnuts, was still good! Will make it again this week for another dinner party to serve with Rack of Lamb. Pistachios are a nice touch.
On of the best side dishes I have ever made
Lovely side dish. Used almonds and pistachios. Buttery and toothsome and wonderful at room temp. Great show and so picturesque.
I have made this several times and love it. The only thing is that I don’t really care for chestnuts so I used slivered almonds. Awesome dish.
This is a very good pilaf, maybe my new favorite. I made it exactly as written except for the chestnuts which are not available to me right now. I paired it with a spring salad and roasted chicken thighs. My family ate every bite and I’m looking forward to having it again soon.