Ramp Compound Butter

Ramps are highly sought after alliums with a sweet and complex flavor and a very small season. Once you actually try them, you'll understand what all the fuss is about: Ramps have a sweet and complex flavor—one that's fresher and less harsh than that of scallions or leeks—that can be craveable.

To preserve those essential qualities, it's best to keep it simple when preparing ramps. Sautéing them in butter brings out even more depth of flavor; once you've done that, you don't need many other ingredients. Because ramps are so closely identified with this time of year, some of our recipes pair them with other springy vegetables, like asparagus in a bright green soup, or snap peas and English peas in a salad bursting with seasonal freshness. Others just use them to add a dash of oniony flavor to everyday items like drop biscuits or quesadillas.

Ramps are only in season for about a month or two, but there are a few ways to preserve them so you can enjoy their flavor all year long. My favorite long-term preservation technique is making ramp compound butter and storing it in the freezer. The ramps, locked inside the confines of the frozen butter like Han Solo in carbonite, are essentially stored indefinitely, capturing the "rampy" essence of early spring at any time of year.

The most common compound butter is beurre maître d'hôtel, or hotel butter, composed of shallots, garlic, fines herbes, lemon zest, salt, and pepper; the recipe that follows is a variation on this theme. Generally used for broiled or grilled meats or fish, hotel butter functions as a sort of flavor-inducing sauce. You may find a slice of it sitting, slowly melting, on top of a steak in your steak frites.

Ramp compound butter is great in a pinch, as you can easily pull a log out of the freezer and cut off a slice or two. It's especially good on pasta, in a risotto, or—my preference—tucked underneath the breast skin of a chicken. If you can keep it until fall, it works great under the skin of a Thanksgiving turkey. Don't delay—ramp season is short. Study up on your local farmers market schedule, show up early to beat the crowd.