Baked Herbed Wild Rice with Pecans

Serves 10

2 cups wild rice

1/2 c. chopped pecans

3 T. butter
2 c. sliced fresh assorted wild mushrooms
1 c. chopped shallots

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 c. basmati rice
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
3 teaspoons fresh rosemary, lightly chopped
3 T. chopped, fresh parsley
2 bay leaves

5 c. chicken broth
Chopped, toasted pecans (garnish)

In a small saucepan, bring 3 cups of salted water to a boil. Add wild rice, and cook over medium heat for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain, and set aside.

In a small skillet over medium high heat, toast the pecans in the dry pan until light brown, 4-5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

Melt butter in heavy Dutch oven. Sauté shallots until golden brown, add mushrooms and salt and pepper, and sauté until all the liquid has evaporated and they are slightly brown. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add basmati rice, pecans, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and bay leaves and stir until coated with butter. Sauté for 2 minutes. (at this point, you can stop cooking and add the broth at the house before you put it in the oven to bake). Add remaining ingredients and bring to rolling boil. Remove from heat, cover and bake 1 hour or until rice is tender. Remove bay leaves; garnish with pecans and serve hot. 8-10 servings.