Wild Rice and Chestnut Dressing

Wild rice is not a rice at all but the seed of an aquatic grass. Although much of it is now cultivated and harvested by machine, it can still be found wild along the shorelines of lakes and rivers in the American Midwest, particularly in Minnesota. There, Native Americans working from canoes still gather the rice by hand. Jumbo-grade grains are the longest and most desirable for this dressing. Doneness is a matter of personal taste. Some cooks prefer the rice still slightly crunchy, while others like it cooked until it is tender and the ends of the grains have split.