Chef Luke Zahm Cooks Wild Rice Arancini

Chef Luke Zahm heads into the kitchen at the Driftless Cafe to prepare one of the restaurant’s weekly specials: Wild Rice Arancini. This dish brings together some of the incredible ingredients found across Wisconsin — sustainably harvested wild rice, foraged ramps, lion’s mane and oyster mushrooms, sweet potatoes from local Amish farmer Levi Miller, and a finishing touch of Sartori SarVecchio parmesan. Wild rice has been harvested in this region for thousands of years by Indigenous communities, making it one of the most meaningful ingredients in the Upper Midwest. In this recipe, Luke combines that tradition with seasonal ingredients and Driftless Cafe technique to create a crispy, comforting dish that celebrates Wisconsin’s landscape and farmers. From caramelized mushrooms and fresh ramps to a sweet potato purée that balances the richness of the fried arancini, every component highlights the flavors of the Driftless Region and the people who grow and harvest its food. Wisconsin Foodie Weekly Special is a short cooking series featuring Chef Luke Zahm preparing seasonal dishes from the Driftless Cafe kitchen. Subscribe and follow along for more stories about the farmers, chefs, and ingredients that make Wisconsin one of the great food regions in America. 00:00 Introduction – Wild Rice & Wisconsin Food 00:49 Building the Wild Rice Arancini 01:39 Seasonal Ingredients from Wisconsin 02:21 What Are Ramps? Wisconsin’s Wild Spring Allium 03:04 Breading the Arancini 03:26 Cooking at the Driftless Cafe 04:20 Cooking Mushrooms & Aromatics 05:42 Adding Ramps 06:13 Frying the Arancini 06:37 Sweet Potato Purée from Levi Miller 06:44 Plating the Dish 07:15 Sartori SarVecchio Parmesan 07:37 Final Taste