Black Rice and Roasted Chestnut Stuffing

Stuffing, usually considered a side dish, has become my favorite holiday main dish. Packed with flavor and texture, I find it tough sometimes to avoid overeating. Stuffing is typically made with bread and baked inside a bird – neither of these, however, are requirements for making an amazing dish. While there are delicious vegetarian bread versions, this rice version is a lovely opportunity for variety and a treat for wheat-free guests. Made with three grains, the black rice adds beautiful color next to the dried cranberries, the Bulgar adds a nice crunchiness with the walnuts, and the white…well, it’s kind of a filler. It really would be better to replace it with brown, though I couldn’t find any here in Madrid. Like many holiday dishes, this one is a bit more time-consuming than many of the dishes I make, but I find that it’s well worth it. It took me about an hour plus baking time, but if you have more than one pot with a lid, it would take you less time.

Black rice stuffing can be made in advance and kept sealed in the fridge for three days or frozen a couple of months. I recommend making it the day you plan to serve it because it makes the entire house smell incredible. This dish is especially delicious served with homemade cranberry sauce.

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 veggie bullion, cut in half
• 1 cup black rice
• 1 cup white rice (or brown if you have it)
• 1 cup Bulgar
• 1 cups dried cranberries or raisins
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cups chestnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup walnuts, lightly toasted, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Sea salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Rinse back rice well and cook until tender with half the veggie bullion, about 25 minutes. Rinse again after cooking and return to pot briefly to "dry out" (I don't know if this is legit, but I find if I don't rinse black rice after cooking, the "juice" stains everything). Set aside in large mixing bowl.
2. Cook white rice and Bulgar together with the other half bullion. Add to black rice and mix well.
3. Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, salt and pepper. Add chestnuts and walnuts. Stir cranberries, parsley, green onion, and thyme. Mix well, turn heat off.
4. Combine onion mixture with rice
   
5. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10x2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover dish with greased foil, grease side down; bake stuffing until heated through, about 40 minutes.
6. Serve immediately. Especially delicious with homemade cranberry sauce.