Chippewa Chicken and wild rice

Thee Algonquins would refer to this recipe as Manoomin aakwenhwaaboo. Manoomin translates into wild rice good berry. Rice comes in many varieties and all varieties are tasty and much healthier than pastas. The recipe I am sharing is gluten free and low in fat, carbs, sugar and sodium. The dish is very high in protein as well. Native American ancestors are gluten intolerant or gluten sensitive.

This recipe is savory, hot and hearty and a great substitute for dishes such as chili that you would regularly serve on a cool winter or autumn day. Wild rice is a staple to the Midwest Native Americans. There are a number of ways to make this recipe and all of them are correct.

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons chicken fat or butter
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup diagonally sliced carrot
1 cup finely chopped onion
⅓ cup finely chopped green bell pepper
⅓ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 cups white shoe peg corn or corn niblets
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 medium jalapeno
1 gallon chicken broth
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1½ pounds cooked chicken breast halves, coarsely chopped
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted

Heat the butter in a skillet until hot.
Stir in the flour.
Cook over low heat for 2 minutes or until it is the consistency of roux, stirring constantly; do not brown.
Heat the chicken fat in a large saucepan until hot.
Add the celery, carrot, onion, green pepper and red pepper.
Sauté until the onion is tender.
Stir in the corn, mushrooms and jalapeno.
Cook until the mushroom begin to turn golden brown, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat.
Bring broth to a boil in a 2-gallon stockpot.
Stir in roux.
Simmer until thickened, stirring frequently.
Stir in vegetable mixture, parsley, salt, black pepper, white pepper, nutmeg and cayenne.
Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
Add chicken, wild rice and whipping cream and mix gently.
Cook just until heated through, stirring occasionally.
Ladle into soup bowls.
Sprinkle with the almonds.