Mandarin Rice Stuffing With Chestnuts and Shiitake Mushrooms
5.0(25)
The brown rice is cooked in vegetable broth to infuse it with more flavor. It needs to be cooked in advance and chilled before stir-frying. Hot rice is too moist to stir-fry and results in gummy rice. You can buy cooked chestnuts in a jar, but I prefer the taste of fresh roasted chestnuts.
02To roast pecans: Place pecans in an empty wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes over medium heat until the nuts are golden. The pecans can be roasted several days ahead.
03To prepare the stuffing: In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Add the rice and return to a full boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Turn off the heat and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff the rice, cover, and allow it to completely cool before refrigerating. Makes about 4 cups.
04Combine the soy sauce and sesame oil in a cup. Combine the salt and pepper in a small dish.
05Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Swirl in 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil by adding it to the sides of the pan and swirling the pan, then add the ginger and garlic using a metal spatula to stir-fry no more than 10 seconds, until the ginger and garlic are fragrant. Add the mushrooms and bell peppers and stir-fry for 30 seconds, until all the oil is absorbed. Swirl in the remaining 1 tablespoon peanut oil, add the rice, and stir-fry for 1 minute, breaking up the rice with the spatula. Swirl in the soy sauce mixture, sprinkle with the salt mixture, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until well combined. Add the chestnuts, pecans and cilantro, and stir-fry for 1 minute, until heated through. Stir in the scallions.