Nutted Wild Rice

This is quickly becoming my favorite side dish. I first had it in DC this summer and I can't wait to make it again. And even though it's officially called "Nutted Wild Rice" I also like the name "Fancy Rice" along with "Sister Harding's Amazing Rice". Whatever you call it, it's amazing.

Here's a picture of the meal we ate last night (the chicken was so good too, I'll post the marinade soon). Seriously, it's divine. It's from the Silver Palate Cookbook. Thanks Sister Harding for this amazing recipe!!

Nutted Wild Rice
1 cup raw wild rice *or you could use a brown rice/wild rice combo or whatever
5 1/2 cups chicken stock *or water
1 cup pecan halves *I chopped them into smaller pieces
1 cup yellow raisins
grated rind of 1 large orange
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint *I used dried, so 4T
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh orange juice *a medium orange should give you about this much, or substitute store-bought oj
1 1/2 t salt
more salt and pepper to taste

1. Put rice in a stainer and run under cold water, rinse thoroughly.
2. Place rice in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Add stock or water and bring to a rapid boil. Adjust heat to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes check for doneness; rice should not be too soft. Place a thin towel inside a colander and turn rice into the colander and dreain. Transfer drained rice to a bowl.
3. Add remaining ingredients to rice and toss gently. Adjust seasoning to taste *this is the part that I love.  You can really go to town and add more or less of whatever ingredients you love/not-so much love*. Let mixture stand for 2 hours to allow the flavors to develop. Serve at room temperature *We ate this after about an hour and a half, but the more you let it sit, the better the flavors meld. I can't wait to make this dish for Sunday dinner and make it before we leave for church!

Serves 6