Ramps are in season and though they are not traditionally found in Chinese food, they make perfect sense in Chinese food. I think of ramps as sweeter, fatter, less pungent Chinese chives. I would bet you could successfully substitute ramps for any recipe that called for Chinese chives. Next, I want to do some dumplings with ramps!

Last week, I was in a rush to make dinner. I knew I had some fresh squid and ramps in the fridge and wanted to make something with Chinese flavors because Chinese food is definitely Caya’s favorite and she has really missed it while we were in Martha’s Vineyard. This is the dish that somehow made it to the table after two minutes of thought, Squid with Ramps in Black Bean Sauce. Caya and Lon loved it so much that a few days later, I made it again. Caya devoured it and so I made it again…

Squid with Ramps in Black Bean Sauce title pic

This dish has bold flavors and multiple textures: salty and a little briny, lots of umami and a tad sweet. The tender bounce of squid, the crunch of celery, and the squish and squeek of ramps all work together. This dish will forever be planted in my repertoire.

As a bonus, it’s a pretty easy dish with just a bit of prep that can all be done ahead of time. As with most seafood dishes, you do have to make it right when you’re about to eat it. Don’t worry, there won’t be left-overs.

Squid with Ramps in Black Bean Sauce
~2 servings

  • 1/2 pound cleaned squid
  • 4 oz bundle of ramps
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil or grapeseed oil
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced on a bias
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar
  • rice to serve

Instructions –

1. Slice squid into 1/4 inch rings. Cut the legs into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

2. Clean and trim the ramps. Separate the leaves from the stems and set aside. Cut the stems into 1 to 1 1/2 inch segments and any thick parts lengthwise. Set aside.

cut ramps

3. Heat oil in a wok on medium high heat and swirl the oil around the wok. As soon as it smokes, add the ramp stems and celery and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the ramp leaves and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the squid, black bean sauce, and sugar (to taste) and stir-fry (tossing continuously) until the squid is tender, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately with rice.

Squid with Ramps in Black Bean Sauce 5

posted by jessica at 10:06 PM Filed under Chinese, Fusion, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.