Rice Pilaf

One of the best complements to a roast duck is a side dish made with rice. Those people living in Minnesota have their native wild rice available, but the rest of us have to depend on what we can find at the store. A casserole dish of rice pilaf is a simple, easy to make side dish.

Chicken stock, soup base or boullion flavors the rice. For a vegetarian version, use a vegetable soup base rather than the chicken soup base.

The success of this side dish depends on one technique. By coating the rice in the melted butter before cooking it in the chicken stock, the starch in the rice grains stays contained. The end result is rice that is light and fluffy rather than sticky.

Bake this along with your meat dish in a 375 degree oven. Fluff it before serving, while the meat rests.

Rice Pilaf
4 tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
1 large can (13 oz) sliced mushrooms
1 c. long grain white rice, uncooked
chopped giblets (optional)
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
ground black pepper
2 c. chicken stock, or 2 c. water with 2 tsp. chicken soup base added

In a large skillet, melt butter. Saute onion and mushrooms until onions are soft and golden, about 12 minutes. Add poultry seasoning and black pepper, and continue to saute until the flavor of the herbs blooms, about 1 minute.

Remove sauteed vegetables from skillet into 3 quart casserole dish. Add 1 c. uncooked rice and toss, coating the rice grains with flavored butter. Add in the chopped giblets, if desired, and the chicken stock.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the casserole dish and cook for 40 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork before serving. Makes 4 - 6 servings