When butter poached, halibut cheeks are tender, rich and slightly stringy, almost like lobster tails.    The ramps add just a hint of bite, although their spiciness has been significantly diminished by the butter poaching.  We’ve paired them with beluga lentils here for visual contrast, but most lentils or varieties of specialty rice would work well.

Butter Poached Halibut Cheeks with Wild Ramps

Beurre Fondue, enough to come halfway up the halibut cheeks in your pot
3-4 Wild Ramps per person
2 Halibut Cheeks per person
Finishing salt

1.  Clean the fresh ramps by washing them thoroughly, pulling off any translucent outer skins that are clinging to the root end, and trimming the roots off.

2.  Cut the leaves off the ramps and reserve for a garnish or some other recipe. 

3.  Add the rest of the ramps to a hot pot of beurre fondue along with a few pinches of salt.  Poach gently (beurre fondue should not bubble).

4.  Remove the ramps when they are tender.  Replace the ramps with your halibut cheeks. 

5.  Poach the cheeks until the down side becomes opaque, then flip them and continue to poach until they are opaque through. 

6.  When the cheeks are almost done, return the ramps to the pot to warm them.

 7.  Plate the cheeks with a grain or bean (we used beluga lentils) and the poached ramps.  Dust the cheeks with finishing salt for a color and flavor accent (we used Hawaiian Red Sea Salt).

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Seafood Recipes
Ramps Recipes
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