Passover

Ramp Matzo Balls

April 19, 2016
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

Take your matzo ball to a new level using the super seasonal ingredient: ramps. They are here now and ready to use for the upcoming holiday! —Maria Reina

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Ingredients
  • 1 small bunch of ramps
  • Avocado or canola oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 cup matzo meal
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • Good vegetable broth
  • 1 Carrot
Directions
  1. Remove just the very tip if there are roots attached to your ramps. Rinse carefully and well, removing any dirt that is clinging to them. Remove the stem up to the edge of the leaf and mince. You should have about 1/3 of a cup tightly packed. Reserve 8 leaves and finely chop the rest.
  2. Place the ramps in a small saute pan with an equal amount of avocado oil and ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute for 2-3 minutes, or until the ramps are soft. Turn off the heat and set aside.
  3. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and ¼ cup of water and set aside for a moment.
  4. In a larger bowl combine the matzo meal, baking powder and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Add the wet ingredient bowl to the dry and combine with a spatula. Then fold in the ramp mixture and combine well. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest. Then remove and form into 2” balls.
  5. You have a choice in poaching: either water or broth. My vote goes with both. Combine 1 cup of broth with 4 cups of water. Bring to a nice rolling boil and taste for seasoning. Add a little salt and pepper as needed. Drop your balls in the pot. When you get back up to a nice low boil cover and set the timer for 25 minutes.
  6. Serve with your favorite broth and garnish with paper thin slices of carrot and the reserved ramp leaves.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

3 Reviews

Heidi F. May 12, 2016
Please forgive my ignorance. What are ramps please?
Maria R. April 24, 2016
How great they you found ramps! And to try out my recipe! I really appreciate it.

My intention was the have equal amounts, 1/3 cup, of the minced bulb and some greens. It sounds like you go to that amount in the end.
I did add water to help bring the best consistency. I wonder if some meal is different from others? It sounds like you didn't need it.
Last, I was going for a texture somewhere between a "floater" and a "sinker."
Thank you again!
FertileCroissant April 24, 2016
I tried this recipe out for dinner last night, after unexpectedly finding ramps at the market. The instructions are a bit unclear, but the end result was pretty good.

Specifically, it was unclear how much oil to use. "Equal amounts avocado oil". Equal to what? Equal to the 1/3 cup of minced bulb, or the total volume of bulb and leaf? I ended up using about 1/4 cup of oil to sauté the ramps, and added a couple of tablespoons to the egg mixture. I left out the water, and still had to add extra matzoh meal to get the right consistency. The result was a bit denser than I was expecting, but the ramps did add a nice pungent aftertaste.