In the Kitchen: Ramps

If there’s one ingredient that can make chefs and food lovers salivate every spring, it’s ramps—the wild onion that’s hard to come by, seasonally brief and the first sign that spring has officially kicked off, ushering in for Chicago the coming of nicer weather and sunny days. Sometimes referred to as a wild leek, they are a pungent cross between an onion and garlic and are slightly sweeter than their counterparts. A common preparation is fresh off the grill, but they shine in a variety of dishes, including omelets, quesadillas or in butter form, a favorite preparation of ours.

One of our favorite recipes is a ramp butter to top on your steaks, that reminds us of spring–even in the middle of winter. Bring a new twist to your table with one of our favorite preparation of ramps.

Ramp Butter

2 pounds of butter, unsalted, room temperature
1 pound of ramps, greens only and well cleaned
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Preparation:

Bring at least two gallons of water to a boil in a large stock pot. Set up a large bowl filled with ice water and set a colander inside the bowl. Quickly submerge ramp greens in the boiling water and remove after 20 seconds. Place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process and retain the color. Once the ramp greens are fully cooled, remove from ice water and squeeze dry.  Be sure to remove as much water as possible. Place ramps in a food processor and pulse on high until ramps are well chopped but not pureed. Add softened butter, salt, and pepper and combine. Make logs of ramp butter and roll in parchment paper. Can be used atop seared steak or in place of regular butter. Lasts a week in the refrigerator and can be frozen up to one year.