Holiday on Rice

DEAR SOS: An unusual and delicious cold cooked cranberry and wild rice salad greatly appealed to me at a holiday buffet at the Century Plaza Hotel. Could you get the hotel people to part with their recipe?

HELEN

DEAR HELEN: Executive chef Steve Peterson was kind enough to comply. And what a good idea it is for a holiday buffet.

less than 30-minute icon:

CRANBERRY WILD RICE SALAD

1/2 pound candied ginger

Juice of 1 lemon

2 oranges, peeled and cut in eighths

1 cup corn oil

1 pound cranberries

1/2 pound long-grain wild rice, cooked

Kernels from 1/2 corn cob

6 ounces leeks, chopped

3 red bell peppers, diced

Puree ginger, lemon juice, orange segments, corn oil and 1/4 of the cranberries in food processor or blender.

Combine remaining cranberries, wild rice, corn, leeks and red bell peppers in large bowl. Add cranberry-ginger puree and toss. If salad is too dry, add more oil.

4 to 6 servings. Each of 6 servings:

567 calories; 31 mg sodium; 0 cholesterol; 37 grams fat; 61 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 1.71 grams fiber.

A Taste of France

DEAR SOS: I misplaced your recipe for Mustard Rabbit.

KAREN

DEAR KAREN: Lapin a la Moutarde, the French name for this classic dish, has more fans than one might suspect. Here’s the recipe made with a cream sauce. You can, however, substitute chicken for the rabbit and use sour cream in lieu of half and half. Chicken or rabbit, the taste of France is there.

MUSTARD RABBIT

(Lapin a la Moutarde)

1 cup red wine, preferably Bordeaux

Pinch thyme

1 small bay leaf

2 cloves

1 (2-pound) dressed rabbit or chicken, halved

1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard

Butter

Salt, pepper

2 tablespoons brandy

1/2 cup half and half or sour cream

Combine wine, thyme, bay leaf and cloves in shallow pan. Add rabbit and turn to coat well. Cover and refrigerate several hours.

Remove from marinade and drain. Spread both sides with mustard. Dot with butter and season lightly with salt and pepper to taste. Broil or grill, basting often with marinade, until browned on both sides and meat is tender, about 20 minutes.

Arrange rabbit halves on heated platter and keep warm. Add brandy and half and half to pan juices. Heat and pour over rabbit. Serve at once.

2 to 4 servings. Each of 4 servings:

318 calories; 529 mg sodium; 87 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 3 grams carbohydrates; 25 grams protein; 0.03 gram fiber.