Cook this: Manoomin rice fritter salad with blueberry vinaigrette from New Native Kitchen
'There is nothing better than the aroma of fresh-cooked wild rice,' says chef Freddie Bitsoie
“It’s been done before but I’d never made (fritters). So, I decided to make them without the yolk (only egg whites), and I decided to bake them,” says Bitsoie, who likes to serve the fritters on top of a fennel and blueberry salad tossed with blueberry vinaigrette.
“One thing I tell people is, ‘It’s great that my food is so delicious, but the only sad part is it’s healthy.’ … Because if it’s described fully as health food, no one will really eat it,” he adds, laughing. “And so it’s one of those recipes that I came up with that is unfortunately healthy.”
When Bitsoie visited White Earth, he witnessed manoomin’s importance firsthand as he participated in harvesting it using traditional methods: paddling a canoe through rice beds, using poles to knock the kernels from the stalks.
For the White Earth Nation, Bitsoie and co-author James O. Fraioli write, harvesting wild rice “is just one of the ways (the) community honours its heritage and traditional foods.”
MANOOMIN RICE FRITTER SALAD WITH BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE
2 cups (230 g) julienned carrots
1/2 cup (40 g) julienned fennel
Blueberry Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
3 cups (120 g) loosely packed mixed greens
Manoomin Rice Fritters (recipe follows)
1 cup (145 g) fresh blueberries
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, as needed, optional
Step 1
In a medium bowl, add the bell pepper, carrots and fennel. Add 1/4 cup (60 mL) of the blueberry vinaigrette and toss to combine. In a separate bowl, add the mixed greens and gently toss with 2 tablespoons of the blueberry vinaigrette. On a serving platter, arrange the dressed mixed greens, then top with the dressed vegetable mixture. Arrange the rice fritters on top and garnish with the blueberries and Parmesan (if using).
BLUEBERRY VINAIGRETTE
1 tbsp agave nectar
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp diced shallot
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/3 cup (75 mL) olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Step 1
In a blender, add the blueberries, agave nectar, lime zest and juice, 1 tablespoon shallot and 1 clove garlic and blend. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil. Continue to blend until emulsified. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper and reserve until ready to use. Any remaining dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
MANOOMIN RICE FRITTERS
3 tbsp minced shallot
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup (35 g) chopped piñon nuts (pine nuts)
1/4 cup (40 g) frozen blueberries
1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
2 egg whites
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup (60 mL) canola oil
Step 1
Prepare a paper towel–lined plate. In a bowl, add the rice, 3 tablespoons shallot, 1 clove garlic, piñon nuts, blueberries, flour, egg whites, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Stir well to combine. Form patties using 2 tablespoons of the mixture for each patty. In a sauté pan over medium heat, add the canola oil. When the oil is hot, add the patties, making sure not to crowd the pan, cooking in batches if necessary. Sauté the fritters until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side, then remove from the pan and set aside to cool on the prepared plate.
STEAMED MANOOMIN RICE WITH THYME
5 1/2 cups (1.3 L) chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup (60 g) diced onion
1/2 cup (50 g) diced celery
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
Step 1
In a medium pot, add the rice, stock, onion, celery, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the rice is very soft. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, and serve immediately. Wild rice should be consumed within four to six days or frozen for up to six months.
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