Wild Rice Pancakes Garnished Two Ways
The nutty flavor of wild rice makes it a perfect vehicle for these toppings. This dish could be either an appetizer or a light supper. The recipes for the toppings make two toppings for each diner. If you want to make only one topping, double one of the recipes for four servings. The pancakes can be prepared a day in advance and reheated in a warm oven; however, the toppings should be made immediately before serving.
Ingredients
- Pancakes
- Cooked wild rice - 2 cups
- Eggs - 2
- Shallots - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Chopped Garlic - 2 teaspoon, minced
- Unbleached All-purpose flour - 1/3 cup
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/2 cup
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Clarified Butter - 3 tablespoons
- Oil - 2 teaspoons
- Chicken with Sherry Vinegar Topping
- Unsalted Butter - 4 tablespoons
- Chicken Tenderloins - 1/2 pound, 1/2 pound chicken tenderloins, or 1/2 pound boned and skinned chicken breasts cut into 1-inch-wide strips
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Shallots - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Sherry Vinegar - 1/4 cup
- Sun-Dried Tomato - 8, halves, sliced
- Fresh Parsley - 2 tablespoons, minced
- Salmon and Madeira Topping
- Salmon fillet - 1/2 pound, skin removed
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Oil - 1 teaspoon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Shallots - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Tomatoes - 2 small, seeded and finely chopped
- Madeira - 1/4 cup
- Parsley - 1/2 cup, minced
Instructions
To make the pancakes: Place the wild rice, eggs, shallots, and garlic in a mixing bowl. Stir, then add the flour, cream, salt, and pepper to taste. Heat the clarified butter and oil in a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat and add spoonfuls of the batter to form a pancake. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the top begins to look dry and the bottom is golden. Turn with a spatula and cook the other side for 3 minutes. Repeat to make eight pancakes. Keep warm.
To make the chicken topping: Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with the oil in a saute pan and add the chicken. Cook for a few minutes per side over high heat, seasoning with salt and pepper, then remove the chicken from the pan and add all the remaining ingredients except the remaining butter. Cook over medium-high heat until almost no liquid remains, then add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and stir. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and return the chicken pieces to the pan to keep warm.
To make the salmon topping: Slice the salmon diagonally into four thin slices. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and the oil in a saute pan and add the salmon, sprinkling it with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until lightly colored on the first side, about 2 minutes, then turn and cook an additional minute. The salmon should be slightly underdone. Remove from the pan, add the garlic and shallots along with the chopped tomatoes, and pour in the Madeira. Cook briefly, stirring up the glaze from the bottom of the pan, and reduce the liquid slightly. Swirl in the remaining butter and remove from the heat.
To serve: Overlap two pancakes on each warmed serving plate. Arrange chicken topping on one of the pancakes on each plate, and the salmon topping on the other. Sprinkle with minced parsley.
