Hunters and Gatherers
Hot tips from chefs who hand-pick their ingredients, literally By Shaun Smith
After a long, cold winter of serving root veggies, preserves and imported produce, many chefs (particularly those of a locavore bent) tramp out to the forest at the first sign of spring to forage for fledgling delicacies.* Not sure what to do with forest flora? We followed three bounty hunters into the wild.
THE TREASURE: Ramps, a.k.a. wild leeks.
THE HUNT: Ramp patches are usually tiny, but Jeff Crump, chef at the Ancaster Old Mill, knows of one the size of a football field (and guards its location fiercely). “Of 100 employees at the restaurant,” he says, “only three know where it is.”
THE DISH: At the restaurant, Crump serves up ramp and morel gratin in beurre blanc with toasted brioche ($14). At home, he recommends tossing ramps in olive oil, then grilling quickly. “Wilted and charred, they’re perfect atop steak with a dollop of butter.” 548 Old Dundas Rd., Ancaster, 905-648-1827.
THE TREASURE: Morels, delicately nutty wild mushrooms that are notoriously difficult to find.
THE HUNT: Local morel foragers swear Langdon Hall chef Jonathan Gushue to secrecy before he can accompany them on searches.
THE DISH: Poached morels are stuffed with tarragon mousse and served with an intense pool of guinea fowl consommé and glazed asparagus ($18). For home chefs, Gushue suggests sautéing morels with butter, shallots and salt and pepper until their juice evaporates. Add cream and reduce by half, then toss with egg noodles, basil and a squeeze of lemon.
1 Langdon Dr., Cambridge, 519-740-2100.
THE TREASURE: Fiddleheads, the tender unfurled fronds of ferns.
THE HUNT: “I watch where the ferns grow in the summer and go back in the spring to cut the fiddleheads,” says Michael Potters, chef at Harvest. “I have a couple of patches that I try not to let the tourists know about.”
THE DISH: Potters’ “wild soup” features bracken fiddleheads in chicken stock with wild rice and other foraging finds, like mushrooms and ramps ($8). DIY method: wash fiddleheads thoroughly before blanching and sautéing them in butter, garlic and salt and pepper. 106 Bridge St., Picton, 613-476-6763.
*For those who lack the survivalist esprit, wild fungi and greens can also be found at farmers’ markets.
Illustrations by Celia Godkin
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