Blog
In Season Alert: Fiddlehead Ferns
Spring is here, and that can only mean one thing, fiddlehead ferns! Often compared to asparagus in flavor and texture, fiddleheads are deep or bright green, tightly coiled and no larger than an inch and a half in diameter and about 2 inches long. Fiddleheads are harvested before the frond is able to open, resembling the scroll of a string instrument.
Once a practical form of sustenance for Native Americans and loggers in New England and other parts of the northeastern U.S., fiddleheads have become a gourmet specialty, found on the menus of many high-end restaurants. Though available regionally in some supermarkets for high prices, fiddleheads are not a cultivated crop, and are available fresh only in April and May. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on some fresh fiddleheads, be sure to cook them as soon as possible, as they begin browning almost immediately after they are cut.
Preparation:
Harvest the tender little rolls of ostrich fern as soon as they are an inch or two above the ground. Carefully brush off and remove the papery brown scales. Thoroughly wash fiddleheads in clean, potable water several times until the wash water appears clean. Then bring a small amount of lightly salted water to a boil, add washed fiddleheads, and cook them at a steady boil for 10 minutes. Fiddleheads can also be washed clean and steamed for 20 minutes. Serve at once with melted butter or vinegar. The sooner they are eaten, the more delicate their flavor. They may be served, like asparagus, on toast. Cooked, chilled fiddleheads can be also served as a salad with an onion and vinegar dressing.
(via & photo by Bob Libkind )
Written by events on 05/27/2010 in Blog | Food | Gardening
|
Share this post: |
|
