When the nights grow colder and daylight begins to wane, I start to crave heartier dishes. One of my favorites is Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf. Warm and earthy, this pilaf tastes lovely on its own or when paired with a moist, firm, meaty protein such as swordfish.

A technique and a dish

The name of the Middle Eastern cooking technique and the dish it creates, pilaf consists of rice cooked in a meat or vegetable stock. You might think, “Big deal. I cook my rice in stock all the time. It gives it more flavor.” Fair enough. However, it’s not only in what the rice cooks but also how it’s prepared that makes this dish special.

To make pilaf, you first thoroughly rinse and/or soak the rice in cold water. This initial step removes the starch from the rice’s surface. Robbed of exterior starch, each grain remains separate from the others; the rice won’t clump together in your pan.

Boiling and then steaming rice

Once you’ve washed the rice, tumble it into a saucepan with a heavy, fitted lid and pour in the stock. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat. Once you see the bubbling liquid beginning to reduce, cover the pan with the lid and reduce the heat to low.

At this point you can walk away from the stove, leaving the rice to cook for anywhere from 35 to 45 minutes. Once the rice has absorbed all of the stock, you remove the pan from the heat and allow the rice to steam in the covered pot for a minimum of 15 minutes.

Note that, traditionally, cooks will add such ingredients as meat, nuts, legumes or vegetables to the stock and cook them alongside the rice. In the case of Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf, I want the mushrooms to remain firm and the parsley vividly green so I prepare them separately and put them in the dish right before serving.

Wild Rice and Mushroom Pilaf

Although this pilaf goes well with a range of proteins, I often pair it with pan-seared swordfish steaks. Steps for cooking the optional swordfish are included in this recipe.

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients

for the pilaf:

3 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 cup wild rice, rinsed and soaked for 10 minutes and then drained

1 tablespoon olive oil

6 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper, to taste

Handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, stems removed, washed and chopped

for the optional swordfish steaks:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 to 4 (4- to 6-ounce) swordfish steaks

Salt, to taste

Ground black pepper, to taste

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Handful of sliced Kalamata olives and capers, optional, for serving

Directions

Place the stock, 1 tablespoon butter and the rice in a medium saucepan with a firm fitting lid. Bring the ingredients to a boil over medium-high heat. Once you see the liquid begin to reduce, somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes, turn the heat down to low and cover the pan with the lid. Allow the rice to cook for 35 to 45 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the rice has a slightly chewy texture. Remove the pan from the heat and, leaving the lid on the pan, allow the rice to steam for at least 15 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining butter and olive oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and minced garlic. Sauté until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are slightly brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the dried thyme, salt and ground black pepper. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Directions for the optional swordfish steaks

If you’re using this as a side for swordfish, 5 to 10 minutes before the rice has finished steaming you will cook the fish. Begin by heating 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the swordfish steaks with salt, black pepper and a splash of lemon juice. Place the fish in the pan and cook on one side until golden in color, 4 to 6 minutes. Turn the steaks over and allow them to cook for an additional 4 minutes or until a digital probe thermometer inserted into the center of each steak reads 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the pan from the heat, cover the fish, and move on to the next step for the rice.

Once the rice has finished cooking, fluff it with a fork and then stir in the mushroom mixture. Add the chopped parsley and toss together with the fork.

Place equal amounts of rice pilaf in the center of four dinner plates. If you’ve made the swordfish, rest the swordfish on top of the rice. Place optional Kalamata olives and capers on each swordfish steak. Serve hot.