Wild Rice With Hazelnuts And Bacon

• 2 1/2 quarts water
• 2 1/2 cups wild rice (1 pound)
• 1 1/2 cups hazelnuts (6 ounces)
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 pounds leeks, white and tender green parts, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 celery rib, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

1. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the wild rice, cover and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 1 hour. Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350u0b0. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 15 minutes, or until fragrant. Transfer the nuts to a kitchen towel and let cool, then rub off the skins. Coarsely chop the nuts.
3. In a large, deep skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain the bacon on paper towels. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and the leeks, celery and thyme. Season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat until the leeks are tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the wild rice, season with salt and pepper and cook just until warmed through.
4. Stir the toasted hazelnuts, the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the parsley into the wild rice, sprinkle in the bacon and serve.
5. Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat the rice and add the hazelnuts and parsley before serving.

water, wild rice, hazelnuts, bacon, unsalted butter, leeks, celery, thyme, salt, flatleaf parsley

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/wild-rice-with-hazelnuts-bacon (may not work)