Fiddlehead Ferns

[menton1]

These interesting-looking vegetables are now in the markets;

Can anybody please offer ideas on how to prepare these things, and what type of taste can I expect? Thanks.

[Pickles]

I've never tried them. They just don't appeal to me for some reason. But I have been told they taste like an asparagus/artichoke blend. In other words...fiddleheads taste like..fiddleheads. This Looks Informative

[Hiroyuki]

Fiddleheads (of ostrich fern) are great! I love them. Unfortunately, they are already out of season in my area in Japan.

Unlike most other types of fern eaten in Japan, fiddleheads of ostrich fern (kogomi or kogome in Japanese) have no "aku" (Japanese word for harshness or bitterness), so they can be used just like other regular vegetables.

I, for one, like to eat them simply with mayo or pon-zu.

Visit the Japan Forum for a discussion on edible wild plants (sansai in Japanese):

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=19952&st=0

[jo-mel]

I love these little nuggets. It is like when asparagus only showed up in Spring ---not year-round as now.

Rinse them well, cut off the dis-colored tip. That color is only a metal reaction from when they were first cut. Boil some water, drop them in and let simmer/boil for about 5 minutes or till tender. Drain, add butter and that's it. It's about the most simple way to do them.

But my favorite way is to rinse them and nuke till tender. My m-wave has a fresh veg setting. Then I drain any liquid and drop them in a saute pan with some butter. You can just let the butter melt, but I like to have the butter brown a little bit. It gives an added depth to the already wonderful flavor.

Cooks.com had a pile of recipes. Just google 'fiddleheads - recipes'.

[Toasted]

I like to steam them until tender (about five minutes) and then sprinkle them with a little balsemic vinegar and salt.

[NulloModo]

They should taste like asparagus?

Mine tasted like... .well, they didn't really taste like anything, but they smelled nice.

The complete lack of flavor combined with high price was going to have me simply write them off, but it seems as if they really should be enjoyable... maybe I will have another go.

[fifi]

The need to cook fiddleheads came up on this thread. It seems that they can cause some kind of food poisoning if not cooked properly.

This thread on fiddlehead ferns has a warning from CDC that indicates that you should cook them for 10 minutes! You have to wonder how they know that when they don't really know what the problem is.

[Jinmyo]

Feh.

edit:

Gah.

Edited May 24, 2004 by Jinmyo (log)

[alacarte]

Saute well, with olive oil and garlic. Serve with pasta and shaved parmesan. Enjoy!

[budrichard]

You need to remove the coating on the ferns before consumption for optimum results. A bit tedious but worth the time. First rinse in cold water and a lot will come to the top. Next blanch in hot water and more will be removed. -Dick

[Jinmyo]

You need to remove the coating on the ferns before consumption for optimum results. A bit tedious but worth the time. First rinse in cold water and a lot will come to the top. Next blanch in hot water and more will be removed. -Dick

For greater enjoyment, shock after blanching with alligator clips and a car battery, throw frizzled remains into compost bin, laughing maniacally.

For maximum enjoyment, walk by stall or produce section, look at fiddleheads, pick a few up, examine closely, and congratulate oneself for not buying them. And just walk away.

Delicious.

Especially if you buy some ramps instead.

[Toasted]

They should taste like asparagus?

Mine tasted like... .well, they didn't really taste like anything, but they smelled nice.

The complete lack of flavor combined with high price was going to have me simply write them off, but it seems as if they really should be enjoyable... maybe I will have another go.

Personally I don't think they taste anything like asparagus, maybe it's just me. They kind of taste like grass, good grass, but yeah, grass. But I like them anyway!

[Hiroyuki]

They should taste like asparagus? 

Mine tasted like... .well, they didn't really taste like anything, but they smelled nice.

The complete lack of flavor combined with high price was going to have me simply write them off, but it seems as if they really should be enjoyable... maybe I will have another go.

Personally I don't think they taste anything like asparagus, maybe it's just me. They kind of taste like grass, good grass, but yeah, grass. But I like them anyway!

I agree. Fiddleheads are fiddleheads. I wonder who started saying that they taste like asparagus. Asparagus has more distinct taste than fiddleheads.

And I believe everyone should try fiddleheads before deciding whether they like them or not.

[Jinmyo]

And I believe everyone should try fiddleheads before deciding whether they like them or not.

Oh, certainly.

And many times, prepared in different ways.

[Hiroyuki]

And I believe everyone should try fiddleheads before deciding whether they like them or not.

Oh, certainly.

And many times, prepared in different ways.

Oh, I see. I shouldn't have mentioned that.

[Jinmyo]

And I believe everyone should try fiddleheads before deciding whether they like them or not.

Oh, certainly.

And many times, prepared in different ways.

Oh, I see. I shouldn't have mentioned that.

Why not?

It's an important point.

I might make fun of fiddleheads but that's because I have cooked pounds of it for years on end. I still occasionally use them in a menu if I know that people will enjoy them.

But they still taste like pond scum.

[Mabelline]

I believe there is a divine reason dogs always pee on ferns...

[malcolmjolley]

Saute well, with olive oil and garlic. Serve with pasta and shaved parmesan. Enjoy!

Yum. Exactly. Or butter and shallots and throw in a dash of Marsalla at the end. Earthy good!

[Hiroyuki]

I still occasionally use them in a menu if I know that people will enjoy them.

That's exactly what I want to know more about.

[Jinmyo]

I still occasionally use them in a menu if I know that people will enjoy them.

That's exactly what I want to know more about.

Oh, you know. Steamed, tossed in a champagne vinaigrette, plated with lardons and a soft poached egg. Stir-fried with U10 shrimp, mixed with watercress, a bit of grated fresh mango and slivered scallions. Or in a quiche or a cream soup.

[Hiroyuki]

Wow, those are the most elaborate dishes using fiddleheads I have ever heard of. I can't even imagine what they taste like!

[herbacidal]

Feh.

edit:

Gah.

[phaelon56]

They kind of taste like grass, good grass, but yeah, grass. But I like them anyway!

So..... you're implying that we should bake them into brownies?

[Jinmyo]

They kind of taste like grass, good grass, but yeah, grass. But I like them anyway!

So..... you're implying that we should bake them into brownies?

No. Unroll and smoke them.

[Pickles]

For maximum enjoyment, walk by stall or produce section, look at fiddleheads, pick a few up, examine closely, and congratulate oneself for not buying them. And just walk away.

I did that very thing yesterday. I don't know what my exact aversion to them is....shape?...looks???....but I CAN'T bring myself to actually buy them. And I think if I DID buy them, I have such fiddlefernaphobia, I wouldn't cook them. Silly, I know. I don't feel that way about anything else.