Fiddleheads, or the furled fronds of a young fern, might be one of the most alluring of vegetables, available only fleetingly every spring. The taste is strong and distinctive—some say it’s like a cross between asparagus and spinach, others that it’s more like grass or nuts. Most say that the fiddlehead tastes like springtime. See for yourself by trying one of the following recipes, or another that you come across, but for proper levels of enchantedness, be sure to clean and cook your fiddleheads— boil them for at least fifteen minutes before sautéing or otherwise preparing them.
FIDDLEHEAD EDAMAME SALAD WITH ORANGE AND HAZELNUTS
Add some protein to make a meal of this hearty salad. The oranges, cheese, and hazelnuts help balance the fiddleheads’ unique, fairy-friendly flavor.
FIDDLEHEAD EDAMAME SALAD WITH ORANGE AND HAZELNUTS
(serves 4)
¾ lb. fiddleheads
1 cup edamame, cooked and shelled
2 oranges
¾ cup toasted hazelnuts
¼ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Trim the fiddlehead ferns, discarding any brown ends and mushy parts. Rinse and cook in lightly salted boiling water for about 15 minutes. Drain, mix with edamame, and set aside.
Combine juice of half an orange and the olive oil in a small bowl, whisk together, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reserve.
Peel and slice the other orange, removing the white pit and the inner segments, and set aside. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
Toss fiddleheads and edamame with orange juice dressing just before serving. Place on a serving dish and top with orange slices, toasted hazelnuts, and feta cheese.
SAUTÉED FIDDLEHEADS WITH TOASTED BREADCRUMBS
The toasted bread crumbs add crunchiness and lemon adds a freshness to this simple yet delectable springtime side dish.
SAUTÉED FIDDLEHEADS WITH TOASTED BREADCRUMBS
(serves 4)
1 lb. fiddleheads
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Trim the fiddlehead ferns, discarding any brown ends and mushy parts. Rinse and cook in lightly salted boiling water for about 15 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Prepare the breadcrumbs: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet, add breadcrumbs, and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes until lightly golden brown, stirring constantly. Add 1 garlic clove, minced, and cook for an additional minute. Take off the heat and season with ¼ cup parsley and lemon zest. Stir and set aside.
Peel and slice the other garlic clove. In a large frying pan,
heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat, add garlic, and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add blanched fiddleheads, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they start to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes.
Place fiddleheads on a serving dish, top with seasoned bread crumbs, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley.
Serve immediately.
FLATBREAD WITH KALE PESTO, GREEN PEAS, AND FIDDLEHEADS
This recipe calls for lavash bread, but you can also use pizza dough or focaccia. Regular lemons are fine too. The many flavors here can temper the wild taste of fern for those less enamored.
FLATBREAD WITH KALE PESTO, GREEN PEAS, AND FIDDLEHEADS
(serves 4)
1 sheet lavash bread, 16 x 10 in. 15 to 20 fiddleheads
1 cup fresh green peas
1 leek
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil For the kale pesto
2 cups baby kale leaves, chopped 2 cups kale leaves, chopped
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup cashews
1 Meyer lemon, juice and zest ½ teaspoon chili pepper
½ cup chopped parsley Salt and pepper, to taste
¾ cup kale pesto 2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons olive oil Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Prepare the pesto: In a food processor, add sunflower seeds and cashews and process for about 30 seconds on high, until broken into crumbs. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until combined. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Trim the fiddlehead ferns, discarding any brown ends and mushy parts, rinse and cook in lightly salted boiling water for about 15 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Thinly slice the leek, removing the dark green leaf and the root end. Peel and slice garlic. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add chili pepper, garlic, and leek, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add fiddleheads and green peas, and season with salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add half the parsley and the juice of the Meyer lemon, and cook on high heat until it’s evaporated. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Place lavash bread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 3 minutes, turn over, and then spread it with pesto and top with the fiddlehead-peas mixture. Sprinkle with zest of the Meyer lemon and the remaining parsley, and bake for another 5 to 6 minutes until the edges of the flatbread are nicely browned.
Serve immediately.
FAQs
When are fiddleheads in season? The spring plant peaks in May and the sprouts are generally foraged or picked from late April to early June before the plant grows into a fiddlehead fern.
How do you get bitterness out of fiddleheads? ›
Fiddleheads before being cleaned and blanching don't look appetizing. But after rubbing off the papery brown scales, soaking them, and blanching them in boiling water (which will turn dark like tea), you'll remove all bitterness and be left with sweet sprouts that rival asparagus in flavor.
What happens if you don't boil fiddleheads before eating? ›
While fiddleheads have been shown to have much nutritional value to our diet, there have been cases of illness in Canada and the United States associated with eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads. The cause of illness is not yet known, though proper cooking has been shown to reduce the risk of becoming ill.
Why do you need to blanch fiddleheads? ›
Blanch fiddleheads to keep them green. It helps them to cook more even too. To blanch fiddleheads, put them in boiling, salted water for 1-2 minutes, then remove and allow to cool without putting them in an ice bath, which can cause them to discolor.
Why are fiddleheads so expensive? ›
Fiddleheads' ornamental value makes them very expensive in the temperate regions where they are not abundant.
Which fiddleheads are not edible? ›
The fiddleheads of cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina), and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum) can also be eaten, but all are at least mildly toxic and can cause nausea, dizziness, and headache, so it's probably best to avoid them.
What makes fiddleheads poisonous? ›
The cause is likely an unidentified natural toxin in fiddleheads. Symptoms usually begin 30 minutes to 12 hours after ingestion and may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and headaches. This can result in dehydration, especially among the elderly, infants and those with underlying medical conditions.
Why not eat fiddleheads raw? ›
Health risks
A number of foodborne illness outbreaks (also known as "food poisoning") from eating raw or undercooked fiddleheads have been reported in Canada and the United States since 1994.
How long to soak fiddleheads? ›
Step 1: Clean Fiddleheads
I take a two-step cleaning process before I start cooking them—first, I rinse them a few times through running water, then I soak them in a bowl of water for at least 10 minutes before rinsing again. You can also choose to cut off any browned or very long ends.
Is it better to steam or boil fiddleheads? ›
As a result of these cases, safety standards recommend boiling fiddleheads for 15 minutes or steaming them for 10 to 12 minutes prior to use in recipes.
Usually, they will start turning dark green. Sometimes, you can cut off the ends and still eat the remaining fiddlehead ferns, but if they become too slimy or mushy, the entire fiddlehead ferns may have gone bad. Typically, once they start going mushy and slimy, mold isn't too far behind in the process.
Are fiddleheads healthy to eat? ›
Fiddlehead ferns are high in antioxidants and essential fatty acids, which are often found in so-called "superfoods." They can be especially good for people who don't eat fish, which are also high in essential fatty acids. Potassium. One serving of fiddlehead ferns provides about 11% of the daily potassium you need.
How do you know when fiddleheads are ready? ›
Fiddleheads are harvested in the spring as they emerge from the fern crown. They are best harvested at about two to six inches tall when a portion of the tasty stem can be harvested, but while the fiddlehead is still tightly curled.
Can you overcook fiddleheads? ›
Don't overcook them. They should be firm, not mushy. If the fiddleheads are to be used in a recipe, they will be further cooked in the preparation of the dish. Therefore, the second boil should be brief.
What is the best way to eat fiddleheads? ›
10 Fern-tastic Ways to Eat Fiddleheads
- Pistachio Crusted Chicken Breast with Fiddlehead Fern Radish. ...
- Sautéed Fiddleheads with Garlic Lemon Butter. ...
- Fiddlehead Lemon Pasta. ...
- Gruyere Fiddlehead Tart. ...
- Spring Onion Fiddlehead Risotto. ...
- Fiddleheads with Pasta and Ricotta. ...
- Pickled Fiddleheads. ...
- Fiddlehead & Spring Veggie Quinoa Bowls.
HARVESTING & SUSTAINABILITY
Fiddlehead Ferns are best picked from late April to early June just as the snow begins to melt. They can be harvested from the time they emerge until the stem is about 15 cm tall, and should only be picked while still tightly coiled.
Do ferns come back in the spring? ›
Deciduous varieties will naturally die back after hard frosts but will re-grow again from the rootstock in the spring.
What do ferns look like in the spring? ›
Fiddleheads. As new fronds emerge, generally in the spring, they unroll, these unrolling fronds are called fiddleheads. Fiddleheads of Alaska hollyfern (Polystichum setigerum) just beginning to unroll.
Can I move ferns in the spring? ›
Dividing and transplanting ferns is best done in the early spring before the season's growth has begun, but it can be done in late spring if watered frequently. Dig the ferns up, preserving as much of the root mass as possible.
