Minnesota-raised wild rice, two ways: Hand-harvested (left), and cultivated. Star Tribune file photo.
This week's Taste of the Past takes a look at a 1985 Minnesota-made wild rice cookbook. Here are a few recipes from that story; for directions on cooking wild rice, go here.
CANADIAN BACON AND WILD RICE QUICHE
Serves 4 to 6.
Note: From "Wild Rice – Star of the North" (McGraw-Hill) and printed in the Oct. 2, 1985 issue of Taste.
1 c. cooked wild rice 1 small onion, diced
1/3 c. julienned strips of Canadian bacon
9-inch unbaked pie shell (if using a pre-packaged frozen shell, use a deep-dish shell and thaw)
4 oz. (about 1 c.) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 eggs
1 ½ c. half-and-half
½ tsp. salt
Dash of Tabasco sauce
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a frying pan over medium heat, fry bacon and onion together until onion is translucent; drain oil and spread bacon and onion in pie shell. Add cheese and cooked rice. In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, salt and Tabasco sauce. Pour mixture over ingredients in pie shell and bake until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven, cool 15 minutes, cut into wedges and serve.
LEMON-TARRAGON WILD RICE
Serves 6.
Note: This accompaniment for broiled or fried fish was from Beth Anderson of the Minnesota Cultivated Wild Rice Council. Published in the Oct. 2, 1985 issue of Taste.
3 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. instant chicken bouillon granules
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. freshly chopped tarragon
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 c. cooked wild rice
Strips of lemon peel for garnish
Sprigs of fresh tarragon for garnish
Directions
In a medium pan over low heat, melt better. Stir in chicken bouillon granules, lemon juice and tarragon and cook until granules are dissolved, adding a tablespoon of water only if necessary. Add rice and season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until rice is hot. Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with lemon peel and tarragon and serve.
Taste's "Restaurant Requests" column printed the following recipe in that same issue. "Please try to obtain the recipe for Mother's Cream of Chicken Wild Rice Soup served at Fitger's Inn Restaurant in the old Fitger Brewery, Duluth, Minn.," wrote Cathy Strub of North St. Paul. "It was beyond compare." Tamara M. Fast, the restaurant's executive chef, complied with the request.
FITGER'S INN CREAM OF CHICKEN WILD RICE SOUP
Serves 8.
Note: From the Oct. 2, 1985 issue of Taste.
4 tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 peeled carrots, finely diced
6 stalks asparagus, finely diced
½ c. flour
5 c. chicken stock
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Freshly minced chives and parsley, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 c. half-and-half
2 c. whole milk
1 ½ c. cooked wild rice
Directions
In a stock pot over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add carrots and asparagus and cook until tender, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, add flour and and cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and whisk until soup reaches a smooth consistency. Add thyme, bay leaf, nutmeg, chives, parsley, salt and pepper. Increase heat to high, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Stir in half-and-half and milk and heat until small bubbles begin to appear. Fold in cooked rice and serve immediately.