Baked Wild Rice with Onion and Pecans

This is a recipe from the cookbook my sweet sister send me for Christmas, The Bryant Family Vineyard Cookbook by Barbara Bryan and Betsy Fentress, plus great chefs and friends. Most of the recipes are very simple and would please anyone.

You know how I am about make ahead dishes. This can be assembled early in the day or a day ahead, refrigerate and bake just before serving.

Baked Wild Rice with Onion and Pecans
serves 6-8
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5 tablespoons butter, plus additional for buttering pan
1 pound small white mushrooms, stemmed
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup wild rice, rinsed
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a shallow 2-quart covered casserole and set aside.

In a large saute' pan over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the mushrooms and saute' until they are browned and release their juices. Continue to cook until the juices are reduced and the pan is nearly dry. Transfer the mushrooms to a platter and return the unwashed pan to the stovetop over medium heat.

Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the onions. Saute until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the onion to the platter with the mushrooms, and again return the unwashed pan to the stovetop over medium heat.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the pecans. Saute' the pecans until fragrant and toasted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the rice, broth, mushrooms, and onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the rice mixture to the casserole. Cover and bake until the rice is just tender, about 1 hour. Serve hot.