This savory wild rice dish is the ultimate gluten-free stuffing and doubles as a holiday-appropriate grain salad with lots of fresh herbs. Cook the grains in well-salted water for much longer than you'd think; until the rice is splitting open, it's not done.
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°. Toast pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
Step 2
Cook wild rice in a large pot of boiling salted water until most of the grains have split and all are tender, 40–50 minutes; drain and rinse under cold running water. Shake off as much water as possible and let cool.
Step 3
Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, orange juice, and honey in a large bowl to combine. Add garlic and let sit 10 minutes to infuse. Fish out garlic; discard. Add rice and toss to coat.
Step 4
Heat ¼ cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook leeks, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and transfer to bowl with rice; toss to coat.
Step 5
Wipe out skillet and heat another ¼ cup oil over medium-high until just beginning to smoke. Arrange mushrooms in skillet in a single layer and cook, undisturbed, until undersides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, toss, and continue to cook, tossing often and reducing heat as needed to avoid scorching, until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes longer. Mix in thyme and immediately transfer to bowl with rice. Add pecans and chives and drizzle with more oil; toss once more.
Step 6
Do Ahead: Rice can be cooked 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Dressing can be made 3 hours ahead; store tightly wrapped at room temperature.
