Cornbread and Wild Rice Dressing

Half batch of dressing without raisins.

1 recipe corn bread
1 qt chicken stock
1 C wild rice
2 Tbs olive oil
1 large sweet onion, chopped
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 C golden raisins
3 Tbs chopped fresh sage leaves or 1 Tbs dried
3 Tbs chopped fresh flat leaf parsley or 1 Tbs dried
1 Tbs chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Note: Both cornbread and wild rice can be prepared up to two days in advance.

Thoroughly rinse wild rice. Add rice to 3 C chicken stock in a medium pot with a tight fitting lid and bring to a boil. (If using homemade stock, add 1/2 tsp salt.) Reserve remaining cup of stock. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow lake grown rice to cook for 20-25 minutes or paddy grown rice to cook for 45-50 minutes, or until all the stock is absorbed.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut corn bread into 1/2" cubes and place in 4 qt baking dish. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or fry pan to medium. Add onion and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Mix in mushrooms, garlic, and celery, and cook another five minutes. Stir in raisins and seasonings until warmed through. Mix in cooked wild rice.

Gently stir contents of skillet into the cornbread in the baking dish. Once evenly mixed, pour remaining cup of stock over the dressing. Bake in oven for 20 minutes or until cornbread is browned.