What is it about fiddleheads that attracts so much excitement? On their own, they’re a fine vegetable, with a flavor that hangs somewhere between green beans and asparagus. Is it the novelty of eating ostrich ferns, in their coiled, newly-hatched form? I think it’s partly their striking appearance, which indeed resembles the neck of a fiddle. And, most importantly, they’re one of the first local edibles, a sure sign that spring has truly sprung.
The raw product. Fresh spring fiddleheads. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
And the good news is that they’re best served simply, sautéed with a bit of butter and an allium, such as garlic, shallots, or minced onion. Here’s a favorite fiddleheads recipe that’s both easy and flavorful.
When buying fiddleheads, look for fresh, bright green, tightly coiled plants. Browning is a sure sign of age, so avoid ones that look like this.
A less-than-fresh fiddlehead specimen. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
To prepare them for cooking, wash about 1 1/4 pounds of fiddleheads in cold water and rub away any papery “scales,” then trim the ends. Because the plants are wild, it’s wise to make sure they’re thoroughly cooked before serving, to avoid the possibility of food-borne illness. So the best method is to boil them in salted water for about 10 minutes, then sauté.
Boiling in salted water not only imparts flavor, it ensures that the fiddleheads are thoroughly and safely cooked. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
While the fiddleheads are boiling, I like to brown some butter in a skillet. I like the nutty flavor that browning imparts, and the method couldn’t be simpler: Simply melt 3 tablespoons over medium-heat and let it cook until the milk solids in the butter turn a nice chestnut brown color.
The finished browned butter. Browned butter makes a great addition to this fiddlehead recipe. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
For oniony flavor, I like to add another wild spring edible: ramps, also known as wild leeks. The finely chopped stems from 5 plants is sufficient (the leaves have a more vegetal flavor, so I leave those out).
Use ramp stems as you would garlic or scallions. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Sauté the ramp stems for 4 to 5 minutes in the browned butter.
The stems will flavor the butter. Cook them over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Drain the cooked fiddleheads and add them to the skillet with the butter and ramps. Sauté for 3 or 4 minutes to blend the flavors, then serve.
Fiddleheads, simply cooked. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
To turn this side dish fiddleheads recipe into a full meal, you can sauté 2 chopped portobello mushrooms in 3 tablespoons olive oil over high heat until they begin to caramelize.
As the mushrooms cook, their edges become brown and crisp. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Add the cooked fiddleheads to these mushrooms and stir in the zest of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of sour cream or crème fraîche. Top with a piece of roasted salmon and you have dinner.
Paired with roasted salmon, this fiddleheads recipe yields a delicious spring meal (I used the thinly sliced ramp leaves as a garnish). Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Do you have a favorite fiddleheads recipe?
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated.
Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.
