Ring of Wild Rice With a Mushroom Sauce

Sounds fancy and it is, but it is actually easy to make. This is not an every night side dish but it is great to serve for a dinner party. It is nothing more than wild rice and a mushroom sauce, but the presentation is just unique. You can make the mold ahead and just cook it the night of your party. The sauce I recommend making when you bake the rice, but it doesn't take more than a few minutes to put together. This is a wonderful side dish as the sauce can also be used to top grilled or roast chicken, cornish hens, pork chops or a pork roast. It simply takes regular wild rice and makes in to a gorgeous side dish for entertaining.

• Ready In: 2 hrs
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 8

Ingredients

• Rice

• 6  cups wild rice, cooked (cook according to package directions)
• 1⁄3 cup butter, melted (no margarine)
• 5  chicken bouillon cubes (5 teaspoons chicken bouillon)
• 3  scallions, fine chopped (white and green parts)
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 1⁄2 cup hot water

• Mushroom Sauce

• 2  cups milk
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 2  chicken bouillon cubes (2 teaspoons bouillon)
• 1 1⁄2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, fine chopped
•  salt
•  pepper

Directions

1. Rice -- Cook the rice according to package directions.
2. Base -- Melt the butter over medium heat and add in the flour and stir until well combined. Slowly mix the hot water with the bouillon until well combined and then add to the butter and flour mixture. Add in the rice and turn off the heat and stir well and let it cook for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. Ring -- I like to use a 6-7" ring or mold. Spray well with a non-stick spray. Press the rice mixture into the mold and press it down good - You would the mixture well packed. I like to make this the day before and then I just have to bake it. Make sure to cover well with saran or plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator if you are not immediately cooking it.
4. Bake -- Oven to 350, middle shelf. And here's the trick - fill a 13x9 pan with hot water and put on the bottom shelf, then the rice mold on the middle shelf. This will cause steam and therefore the rice doesn't burn. About 40-50 minutes un-covered. Remove from the oven and cover with foil to let it rest as you make the mushroom sauce.
5. Sauce -- In a small sauce pan, add the butter and melt on medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-4 for minutes until they are tender. Then whisk in the flour and cook just a minute to get rid of the flour taste. Add the chicken bouillon and milk and bring to medium heat until the sauce thickens. Season with the rosemary, salt and pepper.
6. Serve -- Put the serving tray on top of the rice ring and then flip over. The rice mold should pop right out. I like to drizzle a little of the mushroom sauce over the rice, maybe a few rosemary sprigs in the middle and then a small dish of the mushroom sauce on the side for people to help themselves. The rice mold will cut nicely into wedges. You can serve a little of the sauce over each wedge.
7. ENJOY a unique side dish!
8. Cooking and prep time is a mix of cooking the rice and then baking.