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Leela Cyd
Leela Cyd
Leela Cyd is a photographer and cookbook author. Her previous books include Food with Friends and Cooking Up Trouble. She lives in Santa Barbara with her husband and new baby son Izador Cosmo.
updated Jan 29, 2020
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Want to learn a wonderful recipe that perfectly celebrates the flavors of spring? The bright tang of lemon, smoothness of Parmesan cheese and earthy nuance of one of the season’s most ephemeral and lovely stars, wild ramps — just a handful of ingredients come together to form a heavenly meal. One bite and you will transcend time, shooting straight through blurry thoughts into the present moment. Chef Timothy Wastell from DOC in Portland, Oregon, walks us through one divine plate of rice.
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Timothy is the chef at one of Portland’s most romantic, cozy and seasonal restaurants, DOC. His cooking philosophy of using only the most seasonal and local produce is reflected in the recipe he shares with us today.
The ramps were harvested just this morning from Tim’s forager, straight from the muddy hills of Portland. This chef prefers simple, perfect ingredients that really let the food stand ‘naked,’ meaning the natural flavors shine through without much adornment. Local produce and seasonality guide Tim’s menu choices, not a particular region or trend.
Lucky for us home cooks, Timothy talks us through a delicious plate of risotto. No tricks here, just honest, pure ingredients and a little elbow grease at the stove. Served with a light salad of spring greens, and a glass of wine, this meal will surely win praises and happy-belly sighs of satisfaction.
What I appreciate about this risotto in particular is how balanced the bright seasonal flavors are — the acid of the lemon meets the fat of the local butter, nutty Parmesan, and delicate ramps head on — everything is highlighted, creating a dish greater than the sum of its parts. Eating in this way, punctuating each meal with just-dug-from the Earth ingredients, makes me feel full and connected to the place I live. It enlivens my tastebuds and calms the mind, knowing great food can come from the wet Oregon soil. It’s also a sign that good things are on the horizon, in fact, they’re already here. Hallelujah, spring has sprung!
Wild Ramp Lemon Risotto
Serves 4
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
- 1 quart
vegetable stock
- 3 tablespoons
unsalted butter, divided
- 1 cup
sliced ramps, thoroughly cleaned and the white and green parts divided
- 1 cup
carnaroli rice (arborio or another short-grained, stubby rice is fine as well)
- 1/4 cup
dry white wine
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Parmesan Reggiano
Good salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
In a small saucepan bring broth to a simmer (you'll be using this in just a few minutes). Place a heavy bottomed, tall-sided pan or Dutch oven (as pictured in photos) over medium heat and add one tablespoon butter and the sliced white portion of the rams and sweat for two minutes. This is akin to sweating an onion, you want translucency, not golden color. Slightly increase the heat and add the rice, stirring frequently to completely coat the rice with the hot butter, cook for a few minutes until the rice is no longer opaque. Cooking the risotto rice and ramps in this way adds texture and flavor to the final dish.
Next, add the dry white wine to the rice and cook until it has completely evaporated. Lightly season the rice with salt, and then add enough hot stock to just barely cover the rice. Stir, letting the rice absorb the liquid almost entirely before adding a small amount more. The rice should be cooking at a moderate temperature and slowly bubbling as you continue stirring and adding liquid. This will take about 15 minutes total. Taste the rice for doneness: it should have lost its "raw" crunch , but still be firm in the middle.
Cook for a minute or two longer, then add the remaining butter, lemon zest and lemon juice. Stir in the ramp greens and season the risotto with more salt and fresh black pepper. Adjust the consistency with a little more hot stock if necessary (the finished dish should be smoothly emulsified and pourable without being watery).
Finally, grate some Parmesan into the risotto and gently give it one or two stirs to incorporate the cheese without creating a stringy texture. Serve immediately.
• Visit DOC Restaurant: DOC
Related: Restaurant Recipe: Buttermilk Fried Chicken from Ad Hoc
(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)
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