Fiddlehead Ferns Recipes

FIDDLEHEAD FERNS

Steps:

• Before you're ready to cook cut about 1/8-inch off the thick ends if they look brown and rinse the fern shoots thoroughly to get rid of the brown fuzzy chaff that clings to their sides. Dry the shoots thoroughly before cooking by first spinning them in a lettuce spinner and then patting them with paper towels. Melt butter in a pan at medium heat. Add garlic, parsley and fiddleheads to the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 5 minutes or until they are done.

FIDDLEHEAD FERNS

Steps:

• Clean the fiddleheads by snipping off the tough 1/8-inch at the bottom and any stray coarse tips visible. Wash the ferns in cold water. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil and add a teaspoon salt. Add the fiddleheads to the boiling water, return to the boil and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until tender. Drain the boiling water and refresh the ferns in ice water. Drain and pat dry the ferns.
• In a large saute pan, heat the butter over medium heat. As the butter begins to bubble, add the dry, blanched fiddleheads and saute for 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

SAUTEED FIDDLEHEAD FERNS

Steps:

• Remove the dry, sheathlike papery particles from the fiddleheads. Fill a medium bowl with cool water; add 1 teaspoon salt and the lemon juice. Add ferns, and push them down into the water several times to clean them. Transfer to paper towel to drain.
• On a steamer rack set over an inch of water in a saucepan, steam fiddleheads, covered, until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add fiddleheads, and cook 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

SAUTEED FIDDLEHEADS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fiddlehead ferns in the boiling water until barely tender, 7 to 10 minutes; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the prepared fiddlehead ferns, garlic, and the salt and pepper. Cook and stir until ferns are tinged lightly brown and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and sprinkle with lemon juice.