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Alan Solomon

The Chicago Tribune

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May means some of our favorite locally picked ingredients start becoming available. Here in Door County, Wisconsin we are blessed to have wonderful morel mushrooms and terrific ramps throughout the area. Of course, you need to know where to find them....and those who forage for them keep their morel and ramp patches top secret!

Luckily, our head chef, Eric Thomas, is one of the best morel hunters in the county. I don't know his hunting spots, but he brings in bushels of morels for us. How lucky we are!

Also available beginning this month is fresh Alaskan halibut. Our recipe this month marries halibut with our local morels and ramps. If you aren't as lucky as we are to have morels, just substitute readily available shiitake's and scallions. Bon Appetit!

Recipe of the Month

Alaskan Halibut with Fresh Morels and Ramps
Serves approximately 4

Cilantro Vinaigrette
2 bunches of cleaned cilantro,
tough stems removed

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup to 3/4 cup canola oil

Morel, Yukon Gold Potato and Ramp Mixture
4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes,
cleaned but skins on
salt and pepper
olive oil

1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
8 large morels, cleaned and cut in half

4 ramps, cleaned

8 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stems removed and sliced
8 asparagus spears, cleaned and slice into pieces about 2 inches long

1 1/2 pounds of cleaned baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste

The Halibut
Four 7-ounce portions of halibut filet,
skin removed

Garnish

grilled asparagus spears
grilled whole ramps


To make the roasted Yukon Potatoes Thinly slice the Yukons (we use a mandolin slicer to do this). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking pan. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Sprinkle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the potatoes evenly on the prepared sheet. Roast for 8 to 12 minutes until ightly browned (see photo). Remove from oven. Can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated until ready to use.

To prepare the halibut Halibut is a very large fish. Although you will probably get your fish in portions from your local fish store, we get full filets that we skin by hand (see photo). We then portion the fish into 6 to 7 ounce pieces

*To broil the halibut* Place the vinaigrette ingredients (except the oil) in a blender or food processor. Pulse to combine. With the machine running, slowly add the oil. Taste. If too tart, add more oil.....if not tart enough, add a little more vinegar. Place the halibut filets on a foil lined baking sheet that has been sprayed with pan spray such as PAM. Drizzle with cilantro oil. Place under broiler and broil until done.

This should take about 4 to 5 minutes depending on how thick the fish filet is. If you need to, pop in a 350 degree oven for a few minutes to finish cooking. The fish will be brown on top. See photo. While the fish is broiling, saute the ramps, morels and Yukon potatoes.

*To make the morel, ramp, potato mixture* Have morels cleaned and sliced in half. Have the ramps chopped roughly, including some of the green tops (make sure the ramps are washed well to remove grit. Also slip off the thin layer that covers the ramp bulb.) Place butter or olive oil in a large saute pan. Heat, then add the asparagus, morels and shitake's. Saute for several minutes until mushrooms cook. .

Add the chopped ramps and Yukon potatoes. Saute for several minutes to wilt.

Add the spinach. Toss to combine and cook until spinach is wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

*Finishing the dish* Season remaining whole asparagus and ramps with a little olive oil. Grill.

*To plate the dish* Divide the potato, ramp, morel mixture on the center of four plates.

Arrange the asparagus decoratively around the potato morel mixture.

Place halibut on top of the potato morel mixture at a slight angle.

Drizzle with additional cilantro oil.

Place a grilled ramp on top of each fish and serve.