WILD RICE, MUSHROOM, AND HAZELNUT STUFFING

Wild Rice, Mushroom, and Hazelnut Stuffing image

Provided by ratherbeswimmin

Time 2h15m

Yield 10 cups

Number Of Ingredients 12

3/4 cup dried cherries or 3/4 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup tawny port or 2/3 cup ruby port
3 cups wild rice, well rinsed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced (white part only)
1 lb mixed wild mushroom, sliced (cremini, shiitakes, and chanterelles)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning (Homemade Poultry Seasoning)
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and skinned and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup turkey broth (optional) or 1/2 cup chicken broth (optional)

Steps:

Add the dried cherries to a small bowl and add in the port wine; let stand while making the stuffing.
Bring a big pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat; add in the wild rice; decrease heat to medium.
Boil uncovered until the rice is barely tender (some of the grains may have burst), about 45 minutes.
Drain the rice into a sieve and rinse under cold water until cooled; drain well and place in a large bowl.
In a very large skillet or flameproof casserole, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
Add in the leeks and cook/stir often, until tender, about 5 minutes; add to the wild rice.
In the same skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter; add in the mushrooms and cook over med-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give off their juices, about 5 minutes.
Add in the port with cherries and the poultry seasoning and boil until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, 6-8 minutes.
Stir the mushrooms and port into the bowl of wild rice; add in the hazelnuts, parsley, salt, and pepper; mix well.
Transfer to a lightly buttered casserole, drizzle with broth, cover, and bake in preheated 350° oven until heated, about 30 minutes (for crustier stuffing, remove cover for last 15 minutes of cook time).