After a prestigious six year run at Eleven Madison Park, Bryce Shuman is now making his own delectable creations at Betony. Inspired by memories of eating fried pickles on the beach in North Carolina, Bryce has come up with the ultimate bar snack—with ramps.

Every season, Bryce Shuman puts an upscale touch on a different fried pickle and dipping sauce for munching. It’s spring, so at the moment Shuman is pickling all the foraged ramps he can get his hands on from Virginia to Vermont. The dipping sauce in this recipe gets a nice kick from the Aleppo peppers which matches perfectly with the onion-y taste of the ramps. Other items he has pickled in the past at Betony: fennel, Brussels sprouts, and heirloom peppers.

This is just one of the many reasons to treat yourself to a meal at Betony. The bar area in front offers the full menu, without the need for a reservation. I love that. Pop in the next time you are traveling down 57th street in NYC. [SADLY THIS SPOT HAS CLOSED SINCE THIS POST AIRED—BUT REST ASSURED, I’VE GOT THIS CHEF ON MY RADAR]  betony-nyc.com

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FRIED PICKLES: RAMPS WITH LIME-ALEPPO YOGURT

For the yogurt sauce:

3/4 cup Greek-style yogurt (full fat)
1 tsp lime zest
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper
To make the yogurt sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and adjust seasoning to taste.

For the pickles:

3 cups white wine vinegar
2 cups water
2 tsp whole coriander
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp chili flakes
1/4 cup sugar
4 cups ramps, cleaned
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To make the pickles: Add the vinegar, water, coriander, fennel seeds, chili flakes, sugar, and salt to a medium-size pot and heat until liquid begins to simmer.
Turn off heat, add the ramps, cover and steep for an hour. Remove the ramps.
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3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 TB baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups club soda
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Combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Divide this mixture evenly between two bowls. Mix soda water into one of the bowls to form a batter.
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canola oil (enough to cover two inches of the bottom of the pot)
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In a medium-size pot, bring oil to 375° F. In batches, dredge the pickled ramps in the dry tempura mix and then in the wet batter and fry, also in batches, until crisp. Serve with the yogurt sauce.