Recipe: Turkey and Wild Rice Chowder

Turkey and Wild Rice Chowder
Source: Philadelphia Enquirer
Serves 8

1 cup uncooked wild rice
2 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 lb. medium white mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 or 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
2 large garlic cloves, minced
4 cups turkey broth
1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or about 1 tsp. dried
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crumbled
1/2 tsp. salt
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1 cup cubed cooked turkey dark meat

In a fine sieve, rinse wild rice under cool running water. Bring water with a little salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in rice and return to boiling. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and barely simmer rice for 55 minutes, or until most of liquid has absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a 4 qt. Dutch oven or other large, heavy pan. Add mushrooms and cook over high heat, stirring and tossing, until they are lightly browned and all their liquid has evaporated. Remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. Heat remaining oil in same pan. Add onion, celery, red bell pepper and garlic and cook over medium-heat, stirring until tender. Return mushrooms to pan. Stir in broth, basil, rosemary, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When hot, stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Add flour mixture to soup, whisking until blended and smooth. Stir in rice and turkey meat and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until soup thickens and is heated through.