Early Spring Braise: Chicken, Ramps, Fiddleheads & Lion's Mane in Anchovy White Wine Cream Sauce
This recipe came together in a friend’s kitchen using ingredients from us here at The Shroomeister. The response when we shared it was incredible — so here it is, simplified so anyone can make it.
It’s a one-dish spring braise that brings together three of the season’s most fleeting wild ingredients. Add Morels if you can get them. You won’t regret it.
Early Spring Braise
Chicken, Ramps, Fiddleheads & Lion’s Mane in Anchovy White Wine Cream Sauce
Serves 2–4 | ~1 hour
Ingredients
- 1 lb bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 bunch Ramps, trimmed
- 1 cup Fiddleheads, cleaned
- 1–2 cups Lion’s Mane, torn into chunks
- 2–3 large leeks, cut into 1–2” pieces
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp anchovy paste)
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
- Zest of ½ lemon
- Fresh tarragon, salt to taste
- Optional: ½ cup fresh Morels, halved (soak in salted water for 10-30 minutes first)
Instructions
- Butter a baking dish. Season chicken with salt and nestle into the dish.
- Add leeks, Ramps, and Fiddleheads around the chicken.
- Melt butter in a small pan. Add anchovies and cook until dissolved, about 1 minute.
- Add white wine, cream, lemon zest, and tarragon. Simmer 2–3 minutes.
- Nestle Lion’s Mane (and Morels if using) into the dish. Pour sauce over everything.
- Cover with foil and roast at 325°F for 45–50 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
- Serve straight from the dish with crusty bread.
A Note on the Anchovies
The anchovies don’t make it fishy — they dissolve completely into the sauce and add a deep, savory backbone that makes everything else taste more like itself. Trust the process.
All of these ingredients are available right now — locally sourced and fiercely seasonal. Shop our gourmet mushrooms or DM us to reserve yours before the season moves on.
Save this one. You’ll want it next spring too.