Lemon Tarragon Wild Rice

While white rice is the fully milled version of brown rice (the germ and bran is removed), Wild Rice, although a distant relative, is still rice nonetheless. Like its cousins, Wild Rice needs to be cooked correctly to avoid becoming starchy mush. The simple cooking method used here, in which you drain away any unabsorbed water, is key to producing a firm result.

For those of you interested in the nutritional benefits of Wild Rice compared to Brown Rice, here are a few basics: Wild Rice is lower in calories, higher in protein and lower in carbohydrates than Brown, but then we can also make similar comparisons between Brown and White Rice.

However, I occasionally choose to cook with Wild Rice because I like the taste and the texture. The healthy benefits are simply a bonus!


Lemon Tarragon Wild Rice
Yield: 4 Servings     Preparation Time: 10 Minutes     Cooking Time: 35 Minutes


Ingredients

• 1 Cup Wild Rice, washed in warm running water to remove any impurities
• 3 ¾ Cup Water

• 1½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Tarragon, finely chopped
• 1 Teaspoon Zest of Meyer Lemon
• 2 Whole Scallions, finely chopped


Preparation Steps

Step 1. Combine Wild Rice, Water and Kosher Salt in a medium sauce pan and heat to boiling. Stir to make sure all of the grains are separated then cover. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

Step 2. Pour out any water not absorbed and return the pan with the Rice to the heat while stirring in the chopped Tarragon and the Lemon Zest. Cover and turn off heat to keep warm.

Step 3. Just before serving, mix in most of the chopped Scallions, reserving 1 teaspoon for garnish.


Tips and Trending

~ For a really attractive garnish select some very fine green ends of the scallions and don’t chop these. Also reserve a few whole tarragon leaves and a few strands of lemon zest.

~ If you like a little more zing, toss ½ teaspoon of lemon juice into the finished wild rice when you add the chopped scallions at the end.