Ramp Butter
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In this compound butter recipe I start with unsalted butter then add flake sea salt as I blend the mixture. This way I can control the level and type of salt added. If you can’t find ramps try substituting with another spring allium like spring onions or chives. The compound butter will help to extend the life of fresh ingredients, preserving them in fat.
Ramp Butter
Table of contents
What are ramps?
While it can be hard to describe them, it’s much easier to explain what they aren’t. They aren’t leeks or scallions, onions or shallots, but they are in the same allium family. Ramps are frequently referred to as wild onions, wild leeks or wild garlic. They look similar to green onions with long flat leaves.
They taste more like a combination of mild garlic and leeks. When shopping for ramps look for a pale pink or white bottom and two wide flat leaves. Slice the bottoms off before the ramps are blanched and ensure to wash them well before use!
Ramps are in season for about a month in early spring starting in mid-April. Since they’re hard to find and hyper-seasonal, most grocery stores don’t stock them. The best place to look for them are at farmer’s markets or by purchasing them online directly from farmers who focus in foraging.
What is compound butter?
Compound butter is basically butter mixed together with other ingredients. You can pretty much add whatever you want to flavor it and use it as a base to sauté vegetables, finish meats (especially on grilled steak), stir into pasta or just spread it on bread!
Mix the ingredients into the softened butter. Then either serve at room temperature or wrap it into a cylinder in parchment paper and chill it until it’s hardened and cut it into rounds.
How to Make Compound Butter
Step 1: Blanch ramps.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prep a bowl of water filled with ice water. Add the ramps to the boiling water and blanch until bright green and the leaves have wilted, about 30 seconds.
Step 2: Squeeze dry.
Add to the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and squeeze as much water from the ramps as possible, drying with paper towels.
Step 3: Add ingredients to food processor.
Roughly chop the ramps then add to a the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment along with the butter and 2 teaspoons of flake sea salt.
Step 4: Puree ramp butter.
Puree until the ramps are finely diced and the butter is smooth.
Step 5: Serve or store.
Add to a serving dish and finish with the remaining salt. To store the butter, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use, about 1 month, or the sell-by date on the package. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Ideas for other compound butter flavors:
- Garlic + herb butter (such as parsley, thyme, chives, rosemary etc.)
- Cinnamon + maple butter
- Jalapeño + lime butter
- Truffle butter
- Chipotle + lime butter
- Garlic + parmesan butter
How to Roll Compound Butter
For another serving option great for portioning out the butter like at restaurants or for dinner parties, roll the butter into a log and cut into portions.
Spread the softened butter on parchment paper or plastic wrap with a rubber spatula then roll into a log and twist the ends to seal. Chill until ready to use and slice into rounds.
You can also pipe the compound butter into shapes onto a parchment paper or wax paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Other recipe ideas for ramps
If you love this ramp recipe, give these others a try:
Ramp Butter
Ingredients:
- ½ pound ramps, (or another early spring allium), rinsed and trimmed
- 2 cups 1 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2¼ teaspoons flake sea salt, divided
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prep a bowl of water filled with ice water. Add the ramps and blanch until bright green and the leaves have wilted, about 30 seconds.
- Add to the ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and squeeze as much water from the ramps as possible, drying with paper towels.
- Roughly chop the ramps then add to a the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment along with the butter and 2 teaspoons of flake sea salt.
- Puree until the ramps are finely diced and the butter is smooth.
- Add to a serving dish and finish with the remaining salt. To store the butter, put it in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use, about 1 month, or the sell-by date on the package.
Notes:
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