Author Notes
Inspired entirely by local NYC greenmarket ingredients, I created this recipe last year when I was first introduced to ramps. It's quick and so full of flavor that it serves just as easily as a perfect mid-week meal or as a special Spring dinner-party dish. Ramp butter also freezes nicely so can be used after the special foraged find is long-gone from our markets. —cdilaura
Test Kitchen Notes
This recipe is one of those immensely satisfying testaments to the power of a few good ingredients, simply combined. It couldn't be easier, blend together ramps and butter, dredge and sautee your fish. Done. It's a perfectly elegant, and flavorful meal in minutes. Cdilaura doesn't hold back on ramping up the butter, it's pretty powerfully flavored. I tried it by itself and was worried for a moment because it had such a bite, like garlic butter that got up on the wrong side of the bed and then stubbed its toe. But, the sweet, fleshy backdrop of the fish mellows it out wonderfully, and I wouldn't change a thing. You'll have plenty of ramp butter leftover. Sure it freezes well, but the real solution to using it up is brioche toast and some scrambled eggs. Or more fish! —fiveandspice
Ingredients
- Ramp Butter
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1 pound
unsalted butter, room temperature
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3-4 ounces
fresh ramps, root ends removed
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1 teaspoon
Maldon salt
- Sauteed Skate
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flour for dredging
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salt and pepper to taste
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3 tablespoons
olive oil
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2
0.75lb skate wings (1.5lbs total)
Directions
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Blend ramp butter ingredients together in a food processor and store in an air-tight container to keep in the fridge or freezer. Or roll in plastic wrap into a log shape to easily slice off and use if freezing.
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Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and pour enough olive oil in the pan so there is a thin coating.
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Place flour on a dinner plate, and season generously with salt and pepper.
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When oil shimmers, dredge skate wings lightly in flour on both sides, shaking to remove excess, and add it to pan. You may need to cook the skate in two batches if they don’t all fit side by side.
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Cook until skate is nicely browned on first side, about 5 minutes, then turn. Cook on second side, adjusting heat if necessary so skate does not burn, until it is firm to touch, 3 minutes more or so. Remove from heat and place skate on plates.
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Dot the top of the skate with pieces of ramp butter and let it melt. Season with salt to taste.
Some people were born with a silver spoon in their mouth, mine was wooden. With an Italian heritage on one side and a Lebanese heritage on the other, good food was never hard to find. I grew up with Sunday dinners at Grandma’s, big pots of sauce simmering away on the stove all day and hand cut pasta drying on the rack in the basement. The perfume of lemon, garlic, garden grown herbs and other fresh ingredients always scented our family kitchens. So it is no surprise that my love for fresh, hand-prepared food is something I now love to share with new and old friends. Because of that, I put on my apron, sharpened my knives and started a blog and NYC supper club called 8.ate@eight to continue spreading the good food love.
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