Recipe: Five-Rice Stuffing with Baby Onions and Currants

Five-Rice Stuffing with Baby Onions and Currants

"Rice comes in a rainbow of hues, and they are often packaged together in colorful blends of five, or even seven, varieties, including brown, red, and black rice. (It is the hull that is colored, not the inner grain.) This is a very elegant stuffing, enhanced with glazed pearl onions and sweet currants, good with turkey or duck."

2 1/2 cups (1 pound) five-rice blend, available at natural food and specialty food stores
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1 (1-pound) bag frozen small white onions, rinsed under cold water to separate
2 to 2 1/2 cups turkey or chicken broth, as needed
1 1/2 cups dried currants
1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice blend and reduce the heat to medium. Boil uncovered until the rice is barely tender, about 35 minutes. Drain into a sieve and rinse under cold running water. Place in a large bowl.

2. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and 2 cups broth. Bring to a boil. Cook, stirring often so the onions cook evenly, until the broth has evaporated and the onions are golden brown and glazed, 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Scrape the glazed vegetables into the bowl with the rice. Stir in the currants, walnuts, parsley, and thyme. Season with the salt and pepper Use as a stuffing. Or place in a lightly buttered casserole, drizzle with 1/2 cup broth, cover and bake as a side dish.

Makes about 10 cups
Excerpted from 50 Best Stuffings and Dressings by Rick Rodgers
Copyright 1997 by Rick Rodgers. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.