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Fiddlehead Fern, Ramps & Wild Mushroom Risotto

Fiddlehead Fern, Ramps & Wild Mushroom Risotto

Fiddlehead fern, ramp and wild mushroom risotto

Well, hello!! Fancy meeting you here in a whole new season! I know it has been a minute, but coming in strong with some tempting taste treats to make up for lost time. Think spring woodland treasures matched up with creamy, cheesy risotto! Yup – a fiddlehead fern, ramps and wild mushroom risotto! I had a hankering for morels, the crown jewel of springtime mushrooms, but couldn’t find any while foraging at Fresh Direct grocery delivery. However, they did not disappoint with an organic Asian blend, including Shiitake, Brown Beech and Oyster mushrooms. The Shiitakes add a nice depth of flavor – umami for the win – and the Brown Beech and Oyster provide their unique textures. Use whatever you can find, but look for a range in flavor, texture and shape.

By now you should be familiar with Shiitakes, because I reach for them maybe a bit too often. My workhorse! But the Brown Beech might be a new find. They grow in clumps – often at the base of beech trees, hence the name – and have long slender stems. Just trim the clump end off and leave them whole. So pretty and their bitter taste turns nutty when cooked.

Fiddlehead ferns, ramps and wild mushrooms

Spring pastas and risottos will beg for their seasonal rock stars – ramps and fiddlehead ferns. Ramps are commonly known as wild leeks, wild garlic or spring onion. The look a bit like a tender tiny bunch of scallions, perhaps a bit leafier at the top. They have both an onion-y and garlic-y flavor, though both flavors come through rather sweet compared to their pungent older sisters. If you can’t find them, substitute with a small amount of minced garlic, and a handful of chopped scallions or chives.

Fiddlehead ferns are the furled frond of a tender, young Ostrich fern. Left to their own devices they would unfurl and become another frond on their host. They are a great source of iron, Omega 3s and fiber. But let’s get to it – texture and taste. It’s best to boil or steam them first to eliminate tannins and possible toxins.  Then add them to your sauté toward the end so they stay crunchy and show off their delightful citrus-y taste. Together these ingredients bring both a bright springtime flavor (and color) and an unctuous woody flavor from the ‘shrooms.

Sauteing the vegetables

If you live in a wooded area – and KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING – look around. One friend just reported yesterday that she had ramps, fiddleheads and Shiitakes popping everywhere right out her window. How’s this for a Shiitake crop?

Shiitake log

I’m all for a stroll in the woods to see what has “popped up”, but if you haven’t done it before, be careful. Wildman Steve Brill offers an amazing course in NYC, where he forages in Central Park, among other Tri-State locales. He just did a private tour for the New York Women’s Culinary Alliance to rave reviews. I let Fresh Direct do the foraging for me, and by next week I will be haunting some outdoor farmers’ markets as they start to pop up.

The Right Rice

Now to the most important ingredient – the rice. For years, I thought Arborio was the go-to rice and used it with good results. (I used it here, too. Old dogs/new tricks????) But my friends Elisabetta and Kris, both of whom run wonderful culinary tours in Italy, assure me Carnaroli is the queen of risotto rice for most of Italy. I suppose I have been cooking so long that it’s possible it wasn’t yet a major import in the US market. But I’m abundantly clear now that it is the preferred variety. All rice used in risotto has short, rather stout grains, and is rich in a particular starch – amylopectin – that is a tad sticky and gives risotto its creaminess.  Arborio is wider and longer than Carnaroli. But both are wildly different in shape and starchiness than our Carolina long-grain rice used for fluffy pilafs, geared to be a grain that won’t clump.

But wait – do I need to take a step back? Is this iconic, and oh-so-tasty-dish familiar to you? Apparently, it is not well-known to you all. Risotto is a dish that is among the easiest and least fussy, but requires a watchful eye and some stirring. Once the rice is toasted in hot oil, warm stock is added a bit at a time and stirred until absorbed, when you can add the next batch of stock. And so it goes, until all the stock is added and the rice’s chalky, crunchy texture gives way to soft and creamy. It is then that I add in the vegetables, sautéed previously, and the grated cheese(s) to finish it off. Serve it up right away with a crisp green salad and a lovely glass of wine. Invite friends, if you must.  

Vegetable saute

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Mushroom risotto in a green bowl with pansy garnish and parmesan sprinkle

Fiddlehead Fern, Ramps & Wild Mushroom Risotto


  • Author: Katy Keck
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 6

Description

Spring woodland treasures matched up with creamy, cheesy risotto! Yup – a fiddlehead fern, ramps and wild mushroom risotto! I went with an organic Asian blend, including Shiitake, Brown Beech and Oyster mushrooms. The Shiitakes added a nice depth of flavor – umami for the win – and the Brown Beech and Oyster provide their unique textures. Use whatever you can find, but look for a range of flavor, texture and shape.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli rice (just over 1/2 pound – one pound is 2 1/2 cups)
  • 3/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1 quart reduced-sodium chicken stock, warmed
  • 2 Tablespoons butter + 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 12 ounces mushroom blend – Shiitake, trimmed and sliced; Brown Beech, trimmed and separated; and Oyster, trimmed and sliced
  • 4 ounces fiddlehead ferns, stems trimmed
  • 4 ounces ramps, trimmed and chopped
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan or Parmesan/Asiago blend
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add the rice and cook until coated and starting to turn a bit translucent, about 3 minutes more. Stir in the wine and cook until it is evaporated, about 1 minute. 

Meanwhile, heat the stock in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and keep it just below a simmer.

Add about 1 cup of the stock to the rice. Stir frequently until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring until mostly absorbed before adding the next ladle of stock. The rice will become tender – but not gummy – and creamy at about 25 to 30 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, melt the butter and remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the mushrooms, in batches if space requires, starting with the least delicate and ending with the most delicate (Brown Beech if using the mix above). Add the ferns and ramps and stir to combine. They will wilt slightly from the heat of the mushrooms.

Once the rice is nearly ready, gently stir in the vegetables and grated cheese. Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.

Whistle that group to the table now! Risotto waits for no one. (and NO!!! you can’t make this ahead – well – or “freeze beautifully”! So, don’t even ask.)

Notes

Substitute 2 cloves of garlic and 2 chopped scallions in lieu of ramps. Add the garlic with the butter/oil and add the scallions last with the ferns and delicate mushrooms.

If you can’t find fiddlehead ferns, maybe try young spring asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces. Sauté with the mushrooms.

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Italian

Keywords: mushroom risotto

Wild mushroom risotto

© Copyright: KatyKeck.com 2019. All rights reserved.

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Three Onion Soup with Parmesan Prosciutto Crust

Three Onion Soup with Parmesan Prosciutto Crust

3 Onion Soup in a scalloped edge white bowl with a spoon

I can’t let #NationalSoupMonth roll by again without setting you up for another win. With only three types of onions and a couple of cans of tomatoes, this Cipolline Onion Soup will surprise you with its stick-to-the-ribs quality. Have you thought about having a Soup Pot Lucky yet? Trust me, it’s a great way to fill your freezer with soups in oh so many flavors. Traditionally, onion soups are topped with a crusty bread slice and some melty cheese. What’s wrong with that? Well, uh, nothing. But can it be better? Yes, it can! How about creating a “crouton” out of prosciutto topped with Gruyere and Parmesan that has taken its turn under the broiler. Oh yeah! I’m talking crispy pork and melty cheese. Game over!

Three Onions: shallots, cipolline onions and spanish onions

Best Onions for Onion Soup

Onion soup is most commonly made with Vidalia or Spanish onions, and there’s nothing wrong with that. They both bring a certain level of sweetness which provides a nice layered flavor when offset by the wine used to deglaze the pan. But I recently spied some boxes of cipolline onions from our friends at Melissa’s at my local grocery. Yaaas! I bought a mixture of cipolline, some large Spanish onions and a few shallots for this soup. When picking cipolline, like other root vegetables, choose onions that are firm and show no signs of moisture, green shoots, or dark spots. Humidity is no BFF to onions or garlic, so it’s best to store them outside the fridge in a cool place to extend their life.  If you are worried about peeling all those small flat cipollines – or if you ever have shied away from pearl onions just because of the peeling process – check out my notes in the first step of the recipe below. 

Melissa's Cipolline Onions

With all the sweetness from the three types of onions, I chose port wine to deglaze the pan. Adding a liquid to the pan after caramelizing the onions makes it easy to scrape up all those flavorful brown bits stuck in the pan. Don’t leave that behind! We work hard for that fond. You could also use a red wine in this recipe, but port is fortified and adds a robust depth of flavor, elevating simple ingredients to something more sublime.

3 Onion Soup in a white mug with a spoon. Close up of the Prosicutto Gruyere Topping Once you brown the onions, the rest is pretty much a dump and simmer recipe. It takes some time – an hour of simmering – to reduce the liquid and develop the rich flavors, but you just need to throw a little side-eye in the pot’s direction from time to time. It doesn’t need your full attention. 

Swap Your Top

I love the idea of replacing a soggy – although admittedly tasty – blob of bread with a crispy prosciutto crust on top of the onion soup. Just fold a piece of prosciutto to double it up, then top with grated Gruyere and Parmesan and run it under the broiler. You will NOT be sorry. 

Cipolline Onion Soup with Prosciutto Parmesan Crust 

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3 Onion Soup in a scalloped edge white bowl with a spoon

Three Onion Soup with Parmesan Prosciutto Crust


  • Author: Katy Keck
  • Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 3+ quarts, serving 6 - 8 1x

Description

Capping off #NationalSoupMonth this year with a hearty three-onion soup, topped with a “crouton” of prosciutto and melted Gruyere and Parmesan. This will warm your soul. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds cipolline onions
  • 2 pounds sweet onions
  • 4 shallots
  • 5 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup port
  • 2 14.5-ounce cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes, drained
  • 3 quarts beef stock
  • 3 Tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, or 1 Tablespoon dried thyme leaves
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Garnish:

  • 68 slices prosciutto
  • 1/2 cup grated Gruyere
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
  • Chopped parsley

Instructions

Prepare the cipollines, onions, and shallots:

Trim, peel and slice thinly. To peel the cipolline onions easily, trim the root end and drop in boiling water for 2 minutes, then transfer to an ice bath to stop the cooking. Spread the cipollines out on a towel to dry. The skin should slip off quite easily at this point.  To make slicing more stable, cut the cipollines in half from root to stem and lay cut side down on a cutting board. Slice cross-wise into half rings.

Divide butter between two heavy-bottom stockpots (or one stockpot and one large skillet).  Likewise, divide both kinds of onions and the shallots between the pans, and sauté until deeply golden brown, about 20 – 25 minutes.

Deglaze the pans:

Divide the port between pans, and reduce until almost evaporated, scraping up brown bits.  Transfer all onions to one stockpot.

Simmer:

Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes.

Puree 2 cups of the onion-tomato mixture with 2 cups beef stock and add puree back to stockpot. Alternatively, add 2 cups beef stock to the pot and pulse with an immersion blender a couple times to thicken the mixture, while leaving lots of texture in tact. Add remaining beef stock, thyme and salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Prepare garnish:

Fold each prosciutto slice in half and arrange on a foil-lined sheet pan. Sprinkle with Gruyere and about half the Parmesan. Melt the cheese until bubbly and the prosciutto starts to crisp under the broiler. 

Serve:

Divide the soup between bowls and float a prosciutto on each bowl.  Sprinkle lightly with remaining Parmesan and top with chopped parsley.

Notes

I divided the onions into two pans while browning to increase the cooking surface area. This will prevent sweating (instead of the intended browning) the onions which happens when you do too many at once. If you want to keep this to one pot, you could also do this in batches.

If you are not a fan of prosciutto, you can old-school it with toasted baguette slices topped with the cheeses and popped under the broiler. And if you are vegan, skip the butter in favor of olive oil, use vegetable stock, and ditch the toppings altogether. The soup has layered flavors and is yummy with or without the toppings.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
  • Category: Soup
  • Method: Stovetop

Here are some other great soups to fill your freezer. I make a big pot almost every Sunday and freeze most of it in 2-4 portion containers so that I always have a half-dozen flavors on demand. Just take it out in the morning and put it in the fridge to thaw, and you will be set for a hearty dinner when you get home. 

Kicked Up Kick Off Chili

Mug with yellow rim and red and blue pattern, filled with chili and a spoon close up of chili with scallions and cheddar

Southwestern Pork & Posole

spoonful of pork and polose with lime and cilantro garnish

CaribBEAN One Pot Wonder

Green bowl filled with CaribBean One Pot Wonder, with pork, sweet potatoes, kidney beans and topped with pineapple salsa

Mulligatawny Soup with Roasted Blueberries + Black Rice

© Copyright: KatyKeck.com 2018. All rights reserved.

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Don’t forget to Comment, Share & Subscribe to our blog.