Ingredients

• 2 cups wild rice
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt
• 1/3 cup skin-on hazelnuts
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups trimmed watercress, upland cress, or micro cress

Instructions

1. Cook rice and bay leaf in a large pot of boiling salted water until some grains have burst and rice is tender, 45–55 minutes. Drain thoroughly and spread out rice on a rimmed baking sheet to cool; discard bay leaf.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8–10 minutes. Let cool, then rub hazelnuts in a clean kitchen towel to remove some of the skins. Gently crush nuts by pressing under the flat side of a chef’s knife; set aside.
3. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-low. Cook onion and garlic, stirring often, until onion is golden, 15–20 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Whisk vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard in a large bowl until smooth. Scrape in onion mixture and cooled rice and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper. Fold in nearly all of the hazelnuts and cress, then transfer to a platter. Top with remaining hazelnuts and cress.
5. Rice can be cooked 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Rice mixture (without hazelnuts and cress) can be made 3 hours ahead; store airtight at room temperature.