Recipe: Martha's Wild Rice with Fruit Stuffing

Martha's Wild Rice with Fruit Stuffing
rec.food.cooking/Rich Byrnes

For a large roasting hen or 6-7 pound duck.

This can be prepared as a stuffing or as a side dish. If making stuffing, cook rice mix separately. Combine with fruit and vegetables after vegetables have been saut ed. Stuff in bird.

For side dish, prepare as you would a pilaf, browning rices in butter first, then saut ing vegetables, adding stock and fruit bits last. Simmer, covered, until stock is absorbed. Fruit will have plumped a bit.

1 cup wild and long grain rice mix (one 6 oz. pkg., discard seasoning packet)
2 to 2 1/2 cups stock (smaller amount for stuffing, greater
amount for side dish)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cp chopped celery
1 or 2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
1 cup mixed dried fruit, small dice
1/4 cup dried cherries or cranberries (or both, if you like a lot of fruit)
salt and pepper to taste

I place slices of orange across the stuffed cavity, for flavor (slight) and to keep moisture and stuffing in the bird.
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Let me add a note here: I made this using 1 cup apple juice and 1 cup broth to stuff a goose one year. The apple juice was simmered with 1 clove and 1 allspice berry, which were removed before adding the juice to the broth. Tasted good.

If you think the mixed dried fruit might be too many flavors, use all dried cherries or cranberries. I used to put pecans in with this but they turn the stuffing an unappealing mauve-gray...okay color for a silk blouse, but not for something that comes out of a cooked goose. : )

I would double this for a 12-14 pound turkey. Don't pack the stuffing too tightly; the rice will continue to expand inside the cavity.