Wild Rice Stuffing

Ingredients

• 2 cups wild rice
• Salt
• 3/4 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 3 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
• 5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
• 1-2 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
• 4 cups bread croutons
• 2 cups chicken, vegetable or turkey stock

Directions

1. Set a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring it to a boil. Stir in the wild rice, cover the pot, lower the heat, and let it gently cook until tender, about 25 minutes or so.
2. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. While the rice cooks, place a large sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, giving the pan a small shake to help keep them from grabbing, then cook them without butter, stirring frequently, until they give off their liquid.
3. Once most of that liquid has cooked away, season the mushrooms with salt. Add 3 Tbsp of the butter along with the onion and celery, and stir everything together. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
4. When the rice is tender and most of the grains have opened, drain it and transfer it to the sauté pan. Take the pan off the heat, then mix in the sage, croutons, dried cranberries and walnuts. Add another light sprinkle of salt and stir until combined.
5. Spoon the dressing into a large lidded pot that can go in the oven, then scatter the remaining butter over the top. Pour in the chicken stock, cover, and bake for 45 minutes. For a more browned surface, remove the lid for the last 15 minutes.