Learn tips and techniques for cooking with wild rice and prepare tasty wild-rice cakes.
Wild rice is not really rice at all. Rather, it's an aquatic grass harvested in the Great Lakes region of the United States, Minnesota and Canada. Some of the best wild rice grown in the United States comes from an area in the northwest portion of the state of Wisconsin, where it's harvested by members of the Chippewa Indian tribe using methods that are generations old.
While wild rice makes an elegant, hearty and satisfying soup, we've used it in this recipe for wild-rice cakes. When shopping for wild rice, look for the hand-harvested lake- or river-grown wild rice, as it tends to have the best flavor over commercial-grown varieties of wild rice.
RECIPE
Wild-Rice Cakes
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 cup raw wild rice
- 3 to 4 cups Homemade Beef Broth or canned low-sodium beef broth, skimmed of fat
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup coarsely ground bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a large saucepan, heat the 2 teaspoons olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the red onion; cook until the onion is tender but not brown. Add the rice. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes more.
- Slowly add 1 cup of beef broth to the saucepan; stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Continue to add broth 1 cup at a time; cook and stir over medium heat about 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
- In a medium bowl, combine cooked wild rice and eggs. Gently fold in bread crumbs. Stir in grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Line an 8-inch by 8-inch by 2-inch pan with aluminum foil; lightly butter the aluminum foil. Spread the rice mixture to the edges of the pan. Let cool slightly. Cover the surface of the pan with plastic wrap. Chill several hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve rice cakes, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Cut rice mixture into rounds. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 rice cakes to the skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden. Turn rice cakes over and cook 4 to 5 more, or until second side is golden. Remove from heat. Transfer to a baking sheet; keep warm in the preheated oven. Repeat cooking with remaining rice cakes, adding the remaining tablespoon of olive oil as necessary. Serve.
The copyright of the article Wild-Rice Cakes in Dinner Recipes is owned by Michael Vyskocil. Permission to republish Wild-Rice Cakes in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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