Small handful of chopped parsley or similaroptional
Wild Rice Casserole
2cupsof leftover chicken
8ouncesfresh mushroomscut into 1 inch pieces, as you would chicken meat
2cupschicken stock or equivalentlike mushroom stock
¾cupChopped onion (1 medium-small onion) (green garlic makes a good substitute, and is what I actually used here)
2large cloves Fresh garlic, finely chopped or pressed, etc
4ounceslard or unsalted butter + more for drizzling over the top and sweating the mushrooms
⅓cupall purpose flour or equivalentfor the roux
1cupheavy creamsour cream, or half and half
1tablespoonchopped fresh thyme or similar
4cupscooked wild rice
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepperto taste
Instructions
Crust
Mix the panko and sunflower seeds with the parsley if using and reserve.
Casserole
Mix the stock and cream. Cook pieces of chicken of the woods in some fat, adding the onions or other alliums after the mushrooms have wilted and the edges of the pan are starting to color.
Season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent, then add the 4 oz of butter, melt, sprinkle over the flour and stir to make a roux. stir in the stock and cream in batches, stirring well after each one to prevent lumps and cook until thickened.
Assembly
In a large mixing bowl (or the cooking pan) mix the wild rice, cooked chicken, thyme, stock and mushroom-allium mixture, taste and double check the seasoning, adjusting and tasting a few times to make sure the seasoning is dead-on, then put into a baking dish, like a 9x11 casserole size, or a 10 inch cast iron skillet.
Baking
Top with the crumb-seed mixture, criss cross with melted lard or dot with butter and bake for 20-25 minutes at 450F, or until the crust is well browned and the mixture is hot.
Notes
If you want to top the dish with fried shallots, thinly slice 6 oz of peeled shallots into rings, toss in seasoned flour, tap off the excess, and fry in plenty of oil, draining on paper towels and sprinkling with salt.
Vegetarian version: Double the amount of mushrooms, omit the chicken, and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.