Whoever believes that bread-based stuffing is the only one worth eating hasn’t tried this wild rice version. Alongside perfectly cooked poultry, its blend of sweet and savory stands out as a great-tasting, healthier alternative to plain old stuffing. Pearl onions are sweeter than their larger cousins and they add a nice visual touch, so seek them out in the market’s frozen section. And to fortify nutrients, substitute with brown rice, which requires a little more cooking time than white.

　　

Ingredients

makes 8 to 10 servings

　　6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter

　　18 ounces pearl onions, blanched in boiling water 1 minute and peeled

　　4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

　　3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

　　1 1/4 cups wild rice (about 6 1/2 ounces)

　　1 1/4 cups long-grain white rice

　　1 (6-ounce) package dried apricots, coarsely chopped

　　1 cup dried tart cherries

　　1 cup raisins

　　1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

　　

Step 1

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until brown, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

　　

Step 2

Bring the broth and 1 tablespoon thyme to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the wild rice. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes. Add the white rice, cover, and simmer until all the rice is tender and the liquid is almost absorbed, about 15 minutes longer.

　　

Step 3

Stir the apricots, cherries, raisins, and remaining 2 tablespoons thyme into the rice mixture; cover and simmer 3 minutes. Stir the pearl onions and remaining 4 tablespoons butter into the rice, then mix in the pecans. Season generously with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 4

Loosely fill the main cavity of a turkey with cool stuffing. Butter a glass baking dish. Spoon the remaining stuffing into the prepared dish and cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake the stuffing alongside the turkey until heated through, about 20 minutes.

　　

cook’s note

Step 5

To bake the STUFFING in a baking dish, preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish. Transfer the stuffing to a prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes.

　　The Epicurious Cookbook