Wild Rice, Sausage & Chestnut Stuffing

We used to have wild rice stuffing with sausage every Thanksgiving when I was growing up, except we used water chestnuts instead of regular chestnuts because they were easier to find.

My grandma was the one who brought the wild rice when she visited from Minnesota (where wild rice grows and can be bought more cheaply). I think my parents might have gotten the original recipe from a Food and Wine magazine? This recipe is my variant.

I know it’s not very practical to post a holiday stuffing after the holidays. But you could pin this for Easter, or for next Thanksgiving / Christmas. Or who knows? Perhaps you’re planning a New Year’s Feast!

Wild Rice Stuffing with Sausage and Chestnuts

I used 3.5 cups of wild rice because that’s the amount that was in the two bags I bought.

I rinsed it by swirling it in water, and gently pouring the water out. If any of the rice grains float to the surface and go out with the water, it means they’re not the best grains to eat. So let ’em go.

Chop up two medium onions and 3 large garlic cloves and fry them in olive oil. I didn’t measure, but I’d say about 2 Tablespoons of oil.

When the mixture is slightly browned, add the wild rice and 2 large chicken bouillon cubes. Let the rice soak up all the excess water and take on the flavour of the onion / garlic.

Then add 9 cups of water and bring it to a boil. To this you’ll add the spices: 1/2 t coriander powder, 1/4 t allspice powder, 1/2 t white powder, 1 t basil and 1 t salt.

When it starts to boil, turn the heat down low and cover the wild rice and let it cook. Wild rice takes a long time to cook and you should count on at least an hour with this amount. You’ll want to stir occasionally to keep the bottom from sticking.

In the meantime, cut up 10 sweet Italian sausages (about a pound). (I used Halal poultry sausage because my dear Muslim friend was joining us for Christmas Eve, which meant I also substituted vegetable bouillon for chicken). Sauté them until thoroughly cooked, then set them aside.

Cut up 3 stalks of celery and the equivalent of 2 cups of sliced mushrooms

and stir fry them in the leftover sausage drippings. (You can use a clean pan with olive oil instead, if you prefer).

When the water from the wild rice is nearly absorbed (although not completely – there should still be a little bit of excess water) add the sausage, celery and mushroom mixture, plus 2 cups of white wine. (Alcohol-free is fine – that’s what we use). When that’s absorbed, your stuffing is ready to serve – either as a true stuffing, or as a side dish.

This is a perfect gluten-free version for stuffing and a delightful addition to any holiday.

I haven’t posted that much personal stuff lately, but I’m doing well. I’m almost ready to re-release my memoir in its abridged form and I’m working on the romance (still). It turns out that writing and polishing a book is quite a bit of work! (cough). And we’re in sort of heavy construction right now with scaffolding everywhere and no roof, although it’s on hiatus during the holidays. That’s pretty much what’s going on with me. I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday!

Stay tuned for a round-up of elegant New Year’s Eve appetizer recipes on Wednesday. Just in time for grocery shopping!

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