Wild Rice Chowder

This is a chowder that I never really use a recipe for, so keep that in mind with the measurements! None of the measurements are exact - you can make changes as you like.  

If you haven't ever made a white sauce before, you may want to find better instructions somewhere than those I am leaving. Here's one example at about.com

How to Make a White Sauce

 (You don't have to use sharp cheddar cheese, I just like sharp better than mild.) Makes a large batch - depending on how many vegetables, how much broth you decide to use.

RICE:

1 cup wild rice, dry

water to cook rice

VEGGIES IN STOCK:

Chicken stock or bouillon - 6 cups (enough to cover vegetables in pan)

5 carrots, diced

3 onions, diced

5 potatoes, diced

WHITE SAUCE:

butter, 1/2 cup

4 cups milk

3-4 Tbsp flour

2 Tbsp water

3 cups cheddar cheese, sharp

salt and pepper

(bacon or ham - optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook wild rice according to instructions.

While wild rice is cooking, chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces (use any combination and amount of vegetable you want to). Add the vegetables to a stock pan, and put in chicken stock - enough to cover vegetables completely. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes or until veggies are tender.

While veggies are cooking, make a white sauce as follows. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add 2 Tbsp water to flour in a small cup or bowl. Stir or whisk to try to remove all lumps. Add more water as needed. You can use more or less as desired. Like I said, I don't measure. You do want a thick white sauce because you're using quite a bit of water in cooking the veggies.

Usually with a white sauce, you're going to "cook" the flour with the butter for a minute or two. You may need to add a little of the milk to the butter first, before you add the flour. Whisk the flour/water mixture into the butter. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the milk (either add very slowly or you can actually HEAT the milk before adding). Stir constantly over low heat until thick, 5-10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted.

When all of the components (wild rice, veggies, white sauce) have completed cooking, combine them.

Makes a very large batch of soup.