Wild Rice Salad

By jjadin

Ingredients

• For vinaigrette:
• 1 pound wild rice
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoons chopped shallot
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups hickory nuts or chopped pecans, toasted
• 1 1/4 cups chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3/4 cup dried apricots, thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preparation

Step 1

Rinse wild rice in a sieve under cold water, then combine with cold water to cover by 2 inches in a 5-quart pot. Simmer, covered, until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Make vinaigrette while wild rice is simmering:
Whisk together juice, shallot, vinegar, mustard, and garlic. Gradually whisk in oil until emulsified and season with salt and pepper.

Cook white rice:

After wild rice has been simmering 20 minutes, boil white rice and 1 1/2 cups water in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan, uncovered and undisturbed, until steam holes appear on surface, about 8 minutes. Reduce heat to very low and cook, covered and undisturbed, 15 minutes more. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes.

Assemble salad:

Rinse cooked wild rice in a sieve under cold water and drain. Stir together rices, vinaigrette, nuts, parsley, dried fruit, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve at room temperature.