Ingredients
1½ to 2 lbs. boneless, skinless walleye filets
1 cup canola oil
3 oz. wild rice
½ cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard
½ lb. ramps
1 lemon
6 Tbsp. salted butter
4 oz. fresh morel mushrooms
¼ cup white wine
salt
pepper
Directions
1. For walleye, prepare the crust by crisping wild rice. Heat oil in a sauté pan to 365°F and carefully add 1 oz. wild rice to hot oil. Rice should puff and float to the top within 20 to 30 seconds.
2. Once wild rice is puffed, pour through a metal strainer into a heat-safe container. Shake excess oil from puffed wild rice. Season with a pinch of salt and drain on a paper towel. Return hot oil to the pan and reheat to 365°F. Repeat the process until all wild rice is puffed. Using a clean coffee grinder, grind puffed wild rice to a powder and set aside.
3. For ramp aioli, combine mayonnaise and whole-grain mustard in a mixing bowl. Slice white parts of ramps thinly and whisk into aioli, reserving green parts for morel brown butter sauce. Zest lemon and add to aioli. Squeeze ½ lemon into aioli and mix. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
4. For the morel brown butter sauce, melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a sauté pan and lightly brown. Add mushrooms and sauté. Once soft, add green parts of ramps then deglaze with wine. Reduce until nearly all liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining butter 1 Tbsp. at a time. Season with salt and pepper.
5. To prepare walleye, heat the oven to 350°F and spray a sheet pan with nonstick spray. Spread a thin layer of aioli over walleye and top generously with wild rice flour. Place on prepared pan and bake 15 minutes, until cooked through and flaky.
6. Using a long fish spatula, place walleye in the center of a platter. Spoon remaining aioli in dollops around fish and drizzle with morel brown butter sauce. Squeeze over the remaining ½ lemon. Enjoy!