How to Cook Wild Rice

This basic recipe is for use with wild-harvested, lightly parched Wild Rice. NOT for use with the stuff that is jet-black. Wild Rice varies greatly depending on a variety of factors, but especially how it is ‘parched’ or in other words dried. Wild Rice that is a tan color will cook much more quickly and with less water than Wild Rice that is heavily parched and black in color.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup Wild Rice

• 1-2 cups water (texture will be par-cooked with 1 cup of water, very soft with 2 cups- I prefer 1 ½ cups of water for slightly chewy ‘al dente’ rice)

• ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

Gently rinse the rice by placing it in a mesh strainer and running water over it for about 30 seconds, or by putting it in the rice cooker bowl or pot you are cooking in and dumping off the water. You should see that the white kernel of the rice is poking out of the ends of some of the hulls.

Rice Cooker - Add the rice and your desired amount of water to the cooker and turn the cooker on. Once the cooker has stopped, check the rice to see if it is to your desired doneness. If it is still too chewy, add ¼ Cup more water and turn the rice cooker back on. If your rice is still not the desired tenderness, add another ¼ cup of water and cook again. Taste the rice for salt level and add more if you think it needs it.

Stovetop - Bring all ingredients to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so. Check the rice for doneness and keep cooking if it is not tender enough. If most of the water has cooked out at this point, add a ¼ cup more and continue to cook. Keep checking for desired tenderness every 5 or so minutes until it is satisfactory. Taste and add more salt if needed. 

To steam in an InstaPot, add rice and water to the pot and cook on high for 10 minutes, then let it naturally release for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure. 

Easy additions to add to your rice before cooking: dried mushrooms, chicken stock or vegetable broth in substitution of water,  1 teaspoon of soy sauce or shio koji as extra salt/seasoning- more to taste.

Smoked Whitefish Fumet

There’s no reason to waste any part of your smoked whitefish. From head to tail, the skin and tough-to-reach little bits of fat and meat that cling to the carcass will melt—with their buttery smokiness—right into the rich flavor of this easy to make stock.

• 1 smoked whitefish carcass, with head

• 4 cups onion, quartered

• 2 cups carrots, roughly chopped

• 2 cups fennel, quartered

• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

• 1 bay leaf

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 1 fresh garlic clove

• 1 sprig dill

Combine all ingredients in a stock pot. Fill with water to approximately two inches above the ingredients (about 12 cups). Bring the pot to nearly a boil then reduce to simmer. Simmer for 1 hour, and don’t let it boil: this will lead to fishiness that you cannot fathom. Strain and cool. Should result in 7 or 8 cups of stock.

Once cooled, the fumet freezes well. We recommend freezing it in quart containers for easy use in future chowders and soups, sauces, curries, fish terrines, seafood risotto, jambalaya, or gumbo. Steam mussels in smoked fumet and white wine. For a stronger tasting fumet, use two bodies.

Smoked Whitefish Spread

The soft texture and mild buttery smokiness of smoked whitefish makes it an ideal candidate for a savory spread. In this recipe, the smooth and mild flavors of cream cheese and whitefish contrast the bright astringency of horseradish, paprika, and capers. The acidity of lemon juice ties it all together.

• 8oz cream cheese

• 1 tablespoon mayo

• 1 teaspoon horseradish

• 1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• ¼ cup capers, chopped

• ¾ lb smoked whitefish, picked

Allow cream cheese to soften at room temperature while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Combine all ingredients except smoked whitefish in a bowl or standing mixer, then gradually fold in smoked whitefish.

Tip: Save the whitefish carcass for use in a smoked fish fumet that can then be used for Lake Superior Chowder.

Fermentation Creations with Brian: Breakfast Hot Sauce

Last month, we learned about making hot honey from a long-time employee, Brian R., as a foray into hot sauces and fermentation. Today, Brian comes to us with a simple way to make a hot sauce to keep in your fridge that will add flavor to a variety of your favorite foods. Brian's favorite use? Breakfast!

For some time my children and I have been trying to create a breakfast hot sauce. We've had a few failures but after some trial and error, we have landed on the right formula. This is the recipe I will be sharing with you today!

This recipe involves lacto-fermentation. You may be wondering, "What is lacto-fermentation"? Lacto-fermentation is the process by which bacteria break down the sugar in foods and form lactic acid. While lactic acid acts as a preservation method of food, it's also key to creating flavor profiles you find in foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, and kombucha.

Things you will need: 

• one 12-ounce mason jar or jar with a rubber seal and latch that can be burped twice a day, OR, a fermentation kit*

• one tomato 

• one red onion

• two cloves of garlic 

• two habaneros 

• salt 

• water 

*Fermentation kits are easily accessible and relatively inexpensive!

Recipe:

1. Make sure your hot sauce vessel is clean. Wash it with warm soapy water and dry with a towel.

2. Rinse off your tomatoes and habaneros to get any unwanted residue that could throw off your fermentation. 

3. Quarter the tomato and dice half the red onion. Peel the two cloves of garlic and half the habaneros. (You can de-seed the habaneros if you're concerned about the level of heat.)

4. Start to fill your jar. I like to do half of the onions on the bottom then I add the garlic, habaneros, tomatoes, and then top it off with the remaining onions. You may have too much veg and it won't all fit depending on the size of your vegetables. If that's the case just fill it with even amounts almost up to the lip of the jar. Make sure to leave a little room for air, about a half-inch.

5. Add a teaspoon of salt and then fill it with water until all the vegetable mixture is submerged, remembering to leave a half-inch of air. I use less salt than most, so adjust accordingly to your tastes.

6. Now put the tops on. Or, if you're using a jar, latch the lid. Store in a dark place that is between 55 and 75 degrees. If you are working with a fermentation kit, leave it for 7 to 9 days before processing the vegetables. If you are using a jar, burp it once or twice a day by unlatching the jar and moving the lid open and closed to let the built-up pressure release.

7. After 7 to 9 days take the jar out of storage. Open and remove the small film of mold off the top. Place the contents of the jar in a blender and blend them until they are smooth. Pour the now blended veg into a wire mesh colander over a bowl. With a spatula work the remaining veg through the screen. 

8. Funnel the hot sauce into your bottle or its vessel and refrigerate. Let the flavors marry for a couple of days. After two days, you should have a super delicious hot sauce! I love to use it for breakfast eggs, skillets, and more.

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