Wild Rice and Three Sausage Stuffing

Minnesota resident Marcia Lavine has fought to preserve the legacy of wild rice in her home state of Minnesota. In effort to protect the native grain, she worked to get wild rice included in Slow Food USA's Ark of Taste. Lavine shares her own recipe for a dish sure to become a family favorite at your holiday table.

Ingredients

• 1 cup hand-parched wild rice, rinsed in 3 changes of water to remove chaff

• 1/2 cup white Basmati rice (rinsed and soaked for ½ hour)

• 3 3/4 - 4 cups water

• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 - 2/3 lb. Sweet Italian sausage, broken up or diced depending on links or bulk

• 1/4 - 1/2 lb. Chorizo sausage, broken up or diced depending on links or bulk

• 1/4 lb. Sopressata, diced

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1/4 cup parsley – fresh, finely chopped

• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon fresh marjoram or oregano or a pinch of dried

• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or a big pinch of dried

• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

Directions

Rinse and drain wild and white rice.

Cook wild rice or white/wild rice mix covered for approximately 18 minutes until wild rice begins to curl on ends. 

Remove from heat & keep covered for approximately 20 minutes more - water should reabsorb.

Melt butter-oil mix and sauté onion and over medium low heat for about 5 minutes. Add red pepper and further cook until soft. Stir in herbs and pepper sauce.

Add onion/pepper mixture to sausages. Add rice and mix well.  Adjust the seasoning. 

Bake in a 325°F oven covered for about 30 minutes and uncovered about 15 minutes more.  
 
Original inspiration from The Grains Cookbook by Bert Greene