Southern Wild Rice Pilaf
Nicole Taylor, cookbook author and food blogger, writes, “As a teenager, I spent an entire summer at Claflin College in Orangeburg, South Carolina. The Edisto River runs through the “garden city” and was once noted for rice production. The cafeteria at the college served rice with every meal and...
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1 1⁄2 cups wild rice
2 cups water
2 1⁄4 cups vegetable stock
1⁄2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2⁄3 cup chopped pecans
3⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 cup dried cherries
2–3 tablespoons chili oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
Large pinch ground black pepper
- Rinse the wild rice until the water runs clear, using a colander.
- Combine the wild rice, water, stock, and butter in a heavy medium saucepan. Bring to a boil at medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to low and simmer. After 20 minutes, uncover and stir. Let cook another 20 minutes without uncovering.
- Remove pan from heat. Uncover rice and let rest 5 minutes.
- The rice should maintain a slightly firm texture. Drain off excess water.
- Meanwhile, toss pecans into a 12-inch skillet, over medium heat. Shake skillet a bit to move nuts around. Toast for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Place parsley and garlic in a large mixing bowl. Add the dried cherries and chopped pecans.
- In the cooled rice stir in 1 tablespoon chili oil. Taste, and if spicy enough, stick with just the 1 tablespoon (heat will vary based on chilies used).
- Add rice to mixing bowl and combine. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper.
Recipe courtesy of Nicole Taylor, excerpted from her cookbook The Up South Cookbook: Chasing Dixie in a Brooklyn Kitchen. Photography by Noah Fecks. Reprinted with permission from The Up South Cookbook: Chasing Dixie in a Brooklyn Kitchen by Nicole A. Taylor, The Countryman Press 2015
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