Serves 4 as a side dish.
Ingredients
1/2 pound ramps (about 12 pieces)
1 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter, diced
Pinch salt
Juice and zest of half a lemon
Freshly ground pepper
Optional: 1 strip crisp bacon, chopped
Directions
To clean the ramps, remove any hard outer layer near the stem end. Cut off the stem. Wash the ramps in several changes of water.
Place the water in a 10-inch saute pan and bring to a boil. Add the salt. Add the butter and boil the mixture until you have a smooth emulsion. If the mixture breaks, add a few more tablespoons of water and bring back to a boil. Add the ramps, cover for 2 minutes to wilt slightly, then uncover and cook just until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with pepper, lemon zest and juice.
Serve as a side dish with a little bit of the cooking liquid spooned over the ramps. Sprinkle with the bacon, if using.
