Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
1 hour 20 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Intermediate
Season
Spring
Serves
4 to 6
This au gratin recipe is a side dish I've made countless times with many different flavors. The roux and cream sauce are key components that allow you to switch out ingredients. Maintain that part of the recipe, and you're good to go.
In this case, we're looking for more neutral cheeses to help not overpower the ramp flavor so it can shine, which is why ricotta is perfect. This dish would also be a great place for morels and a dash of sherry vinegar to add a nice earthy kick and bring together the spring theme.
Let this sit overnight if you'd like to cut perfect portions or simply serve the gooiness straight from the pan. It'll pair perfectly with any wild game and an umami-packed sauce like red wine demi-glace or dijon mushroom cream.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. gold potatoes, skin on and sliced
- 2 cups fresh sourdough bread crumbs
- 1 cup yellow onion, sliced
- 1 pt. heavy cream
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
- 5 oz. grated parmesan cheese
- 2 oz. chopped ramp leaves
- 2 oz. blanched ramp leaves
- 1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, minced
- 4 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Also works with
Preparation
- Slice the potatoes, skin on, to about ¼ inch thickness into cold water. Give them a good mix, empty, and replace the cold water to cover the potatoes. Salt lightly and bring to a boil. Cook until just tender—about 8 to 10 minutes—and strain. The potatoes should still be firm yet cooked through. You can cool them on a sheet tray while making the ricotta cream.
- While the potatoes are boiling, blanch the ramps in the same water for 5 to 10 seconds, remove, set aside, and let them cool.
- Puree the blanched ramps until smooth. Add a touch of water if necessary.
- For the ricotta cream, start by adding the butter, garlic, onion, and thyme to a pot on medium-high heat. Cook until the onion begins to brown on the edges. Add ¾ of the chopped ramps and stir. Whisk in the flour and cook until the roux is golden brown—about 1 minute. Reduce to low heat. Add the Worcestershire and stir in the heavy cream. Now stir in the ricotta and blanched ramps. The mixture should be quite thick. Lastly, mix in the nutmeg, parsley, half of the parmesan, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Remove from the heat.
- Mix the bread crumbs with the remainder of the parmesan and chopped ramps.
- Add the potatoes to the baking dish. In this case, I've used a classic 9x13 Pyrex. Pour the ricotta cream over the potatoes and gently stir until it's evenly mixed with the sliced potatoes. Press down with a spatula or large spoon to even the top. Add the bread crumbs evenly over the top and press lightly until the surface is even.
- Bake, covered in tin foil, at 375ºF for 30 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and cook for another 30 minutes. Kick the heat to 450ºF for the last ten minutes to brown the top.
- Remove from the oven, let stand for 15 to 20 minutes, and serve.
Ramp Au Gratin Potatoes
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
1 hour 20 minutes
Course
Main
Skill level
Intermediate
Season
Spring
Serves
4 to 6
This au gratin recipe is a side dish I've made countless times with many different flavors. The roux and cream sauce are key components that allow you to switch out ingredients. Maintain that part of the recipe, and you're good to go.
In this case, we're looking for more neutral cheeses to help not overpower the ramp flavor so it can shine, which is why ricotta is perfect. This dish would also be a great place for morels and a dash of sherry vinegar to add a nice earthy kick and bring together the spring theme.
Let this sit overnight if you'd like to cut perfect portions or simply serve the gooiness straight from the pan. It'll pair perfectly with any wild game and an umami-packed sauce like red wine demi-glace or dijon mushroom cream.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. gold potatoes, skin on and sliced
- 2 cups fresh sourdough bread crumbs
- 1 cup yellow onion, sliced
- 1 pt. heavy cream
- 15 oz. whole milk ricotta cheese
- 5 oz. grated parmesan cheese
- 2 oz. chopped ramp leaves
- 2 oz. blanched ramp leaves
- 1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted butter
- ¼ cup Italian parsley, minced
- 4 tbsp. garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1 tsp. cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Also works with
Preparation
- Slice the potatoes, skin on, to about ¼ inch thickness into cold water. Give them a good mix, empty, and replace the cold water to cover the potatoes. Salt lightly and bring to a boil. Cook until just tender—about 8 to 10 minutes—and strain. The potatoes should still be firm yet cooked through. You can cool them on a sheet tray while making the ricotta cream.
- While the potatoes are boiling, blanch the ramps in the same water for 5 to 10 seconds, remove, set aside, and let them cool.
- Puree the blanched ramps until smooth. Add a touch of water if necessary.
- For the ricotta cream, start by adding the butter, garlic, onion, and thyme to a pot on medium-high heat. Cook until the onion begins to brown on the edges. Add ¾ of the chopped ramps and stir. Whisk in the flour and cook until the roux is golden brown—about 1 minute. Reduce to low heat. Add the Worcestershire and stir in the heavy cream. Now stir in the ricotta and blanched ramps. The mixture should be quite thick. Lastly, mix in the nutmeg, parsley, half of the parmesan, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Remove from the heat.
- Mix the bread crumbs with the remainder of the parmesan and chopped ramps.
- Add the potatoes to the baking dish. In this case, I've used a classic 9x13 Pyrex. Pour the ricotta cream over the potatoes and gently stir until it's evenly mixed with the sliced potatoes. Press down with a spatula or large spoon to even the top. Add the bread crumbs evenly over the top and press lightly until the surface is even.
- Bake, covered in tin foil, at 375ºF for 30 minutes. Remove the tinfoil and cook for another 30 minutes. Kick the heat to 450ºF for the last ten minutes to brown the top.
- Remove from the oven, let stand for 15 to 20 minutes, and serve.