I am still waiting for you to invite me to your house for dinner.....I will even do the dishes, bring avocados and strawberries grown in our area.
Your cooking adventures are a delight.
Thanks.

Dcarch, that looks so tasty! And I am with Carol, I am still on the waiting list for the dinner...I will bring beets, carrots, starfruit and whatever else is in season.:)
I like the idea of the puffed rice, I have to try that some day.

Silvia

As I recall the last time you posted about making puffed wild rice you soaked the rice overnight in broth and then threw it in the dehydrator before frying it. Doesn't sound like you did that this time. In retrospect, do you think those extra steps were worth it?

Maggots! LOL
I ate puffed rice cereal as a kid. Nothing but air but I loved the stuff.

I'd love to come for dinner if you make me the stuffed fennel. I'll bring whatever you like.

Thank you everyone!

Avocados and strawberries, beets, carrots, starfruit and whatever else is in season! My knid of food!

I post many meat dishes, but 80% of the time I eat basically meatless. People here are more interested in meat.

FOAS, it is extremely simple and quick to puff wild rice. It puffs much better than any other rice. Dry uncooked rice in hot oil, that's all. Farmed wild rice is very interesting, each grain puffs to over an inch long. What you see on the plate is about two tablespoons of rice.

Jasdip, they look so much like maggots indeed. I am serious, I am not kidding, for this year's Halloween, I am making a puffed wild rice dish and the rice actually move around the plate! It will be the greatest Halloween dish ever.

dcarch

Yes, I know how to puff rice, the question was whether the soaking in broth and dehydrating last time was worth it. But now that I looked up that thread, I see there another important step in between - you actually cooked the rice, then dehydrated it, then puffed it.

How would you compare the results of the two methods?

Here is a link that might be useful: Mothers Day thread

FOAS, now I under your question a little better. The soaking and dehydrating has no effect on the puffing quality. The reason for the difference in the making is basically for different tastes.

BTW, the puffed wild rice stays crispy even in the gravy.

dcarch

Ok I just puffed some. They didn't puff to over an inch (maybe 3/4"?) which I suppose may or may not be due to the fact that I used "wild" wild rice, not cultivated. I must say I really liked the airy cruchy texture, and will definitely be incorporating this into a meal somewhere along the line.

One thing to note, for anyone curious, is that the rice loses much but not all of it's characteristic "nutty" flavor. But it's extremely quick and simple, and definitely worth a try.

FOAS, here is the reason why mine is longer than yours.

dcarch

{{gwi:1482839}}

Yeah, I guess that's proof the dark ones are bigger. ;)

Colorwise mine looks like what you've got on the right. Average length seems to be about 3/8 inch. Some shorter, not many longer.

When I was a kid we would put it in a corn popper and hold it in the fire place to pop. I did not like the taste.

Dcarch - I do believe if that first photo were to be published it would put the kabosh on the wild rice industry!

I'm beginning to wonder if sending you all that rice was such a good idea.........:-)

"-----When I was a kid we would put it in a corn popper and hold it in the fire place to pop. I did not like the taste.---"

May I suggest this? After you puffed the rice, pan fry it with some butter, and shake a good amount of powdered smoked salt on it. That will put pop corn out of business.

"---I'm beginning to wonder if sending you all that rice was such a good idea.........:-) "

I was thinking about the same thing. I have been have nightmares of some of the things I will be doing with your wild rice. :-)

dcarch

This post was edited by dcarch on Sun, Jan 27, 13 at 17:47

I hate smoked anything! Once I was in The Wedge coop - the bulk spice aisle to be exact - someone had the jar of the smoked Hawaiian salt open. I thought I would toss my Krispys.

"I have been have nightmares of some of the things I will be doing with your wild rice. :-)"

I figured when you and FOAS brought that matter of the differences in length (of the rice) into the matter - the subject was going to take on a life of it's own.

Good to see FOAS posting again!

Teresa - who does not think the length of the rice makes a difference :-)