Chef Terri Milligan (Inn at Kristofer’s, Sister Bay, Wisconsin)
Serves 6
At the Inn at Kristofer’s, we strive to use local ingredients. You cannot get any more local than the use of fresh ramps—I harvest them directly from my backyard. We make pesto and use it on pasta and bruschetta, and we also grill them and add them to a variety of dishes. This is one of my favorite recipes; it incorporates not only ramps, but also locally picked wild morel mushrooms and asparagus. My head chef Eric Thomas is my morel hunter. His locations are secrets even to me, and his “pay” for the morels is a couple of nice bottles of wine. Although I do not grow my own asparagus, I have something even better—a local farmer who comes directly to my back door daily during asparagus season. I buy it directly off his truck. It is picked in the morning, and on our dinner plates at night.
Luckily, morels and ramps coincide with the opening of the halibut season in Alaska. This favorite spring recipe includes wild halibut, ramps, and morels.
6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cleaned and skins on Olive oil, as needed
Salt, to taste
(See Chef’s Tips on emulsification, this page)
2 bunches cilantro and/or basil, cleaned
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½-¾ cup blended oil (see Chef’s Tips on blended oil, this page)
6 (6–7 oz.) pieces halibut, deboned
10 morel mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (or shiitake mushrooms)
12 asparagus spears, blanched and sliced into ½-inch pieces on the diagonal (see Note)
12 ramps wild leeks, roughly chopped, then cleaned, including leaves (see Note)
1½ pounds spinach, cleaned
Olive oil and/or butter, as needed
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Arugula and/or asparagus spears or 6 ramps, grilled
Herb Vinaigrette (see Chef’s Tips on emulsification, this page)
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Thinly slice the Yukon potatoes with a mandolin slicer, if possible. Place in a large bowl and toss with just enough olive oil to coat. Line the potatoes flat on the baking pan and sprinkle lightly with salt. Roast until lightly browned, but not overly crisp. Remove and cool. Can be made one day ahead and refrigerated.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Quickly blanch the herbs for about 10 seconds. Remove and rinse under cold water. Squeeze out the excess water (this will keep the herbs bright green).
Place in a blender. Add all the ingredients, except the oil. Pulse to blend. Add the oil in a slow, steady stream through the top of the blender while the blender is going (add just enough oil to create a thick vinaigrette). Taste and adjust the seasoning; then place in a container and refrigerate until ready to use (can be made a day ahead). Bring to room temperature for 10 minutes before using.
You can either grill or pan-sear fish (and finish in the oven). If grilling the fish, brush the fish with the olive oil mixture and place, flesh-down-first, on the grill. After a few minutes, move the fish to a slight angle to get a nice grill-mark design. Flip the fish and grill on the other side. If searing on a stove, heat a sauté pan on medium. When hot, add just a small amount of olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Place the fish, flesh-side-down, in the pan. When the fish is slightly browned, flip the fish. Finish cooking the fish in a 350°F oven for about 2 to 3 minutes (depending on the size of the fillet).
While the fish is finishing in the oven or on the grill, finish the Yukon potato mixture. Heat a large sauté pan with just enough olive oil and/or butter to lightly coat the bottom. When hot, add the potatoes, wild mushrooms, asparagus, and half of the ramps. Cover and stir occasionally until the mushrooms are just cooked through (you may need to use two pans if you do not have a pan large enough). Add the spinach, cover, and cook until the spinach is just wilted.
Brush the remaining six ramps with olive oil and grill briefly to char (if you are not grilling the fish, sauté them whole in a sauté pan with a little olive oil).
Divide the potato-asparagus-mushroom mixture among six plates. Top each with a piece of the fish.
Garnish with a small arugula bouquet and/or a few pieces of warmed asparagus and the grilled ramps. Garnish the plate with a drizzle of Herb Vinaigrette (optional).
The white part of leeks or whole scallions may be substituted for ramps. Cut leeks before washing to expose the center of the stalk. Place them in a colander and rinse well (this removes all of the dirt and grit, which are hidden within the layers of the leek).
To prepare asparagus, hold the stalk by each end and bend until the stalk snaps naturally. The asparagus will always break at the point where the asparagus is no longer tender and becomes extremely fibrous; discard this end. Only use the opposite end with the asparagus tip and tender part of the stalk.