Blogwatch: Fiddlehead Salad
Mel of Bouchon for Two, like many of us, is a sucker for things with short seasonal shelf lives. Right now, she's after fiddleheads, or the unfurled fronds of young ferns that are harvested for food consumption. They look like snail's shells or some pasta marketed at picky kids. Mel says they're "delicate, earthy" and make a nice salad with minced garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan, walnuts, and lemon. But you might want to blanch them first—they contain mild toxins that dissipate after being fully cooked.
Related: Fiddleheads [Talk]
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5 Comments:
Fiddleheads are one of those items that represent a great culinary disappointment for me. I love greens of all sorts, and when I first stumbled upon these years ago at a green grocer I was so excited. I imagined biting into something akin to baby asparagus...unique and delicious. When I got home and sauteed them in garlic & olive oil, I was so disappointed. The bitterness was terrible, and I was thinking I'd get these delicately flavored, tender morsels...instead it was just. not. Now I realize my mistake was in not blanching them first. I am ready to go back and try again.
juliebugsmama at 2:16PM on 05/12/09
Has anyone in the NYC area found any fiddleheads lately? I've come up dry at the greenmarkets.
Hannah Geller at 2:29PM on 05/12/09
If you're near the Union Square Greenmarket, Berried Treasures had fiddleheads last week. This week they'll be there Wednesday and Friday. Also the Union Square and Tribeca Whole Foods have had them in small batches ($10 per pound) and last week Garden of Eden did too (but they were $16-17 per pound).
bgrimes at 6:49PM on 05/12/09
I finally tried fiddleheads. The sign at Whole Foods said to boil for 10 mins. WAY too much boiling. Didn't love them as a result: http://whatsonmyplate.wordpress.com/2009/05/10/fiddleheads/
wonTONfm at 8:42PM on 05/12/09
the way people detoxify fiddleheads in Japan:
boil water. add 1tsp of baking soda per 1l (about a quart) of water.
add fiddleheads, cook for 1-2 min.
drain and transfer fiddleheads into cold water (and you can keep them in the water, in the fridge- change water once a day)
after this, you can use it for whatever.
I've already commented this, but tempura is my most favorite way to eat spring vegetables. It just brings out the subtle flavors..
hmw0029 at 9:58PM on 05/12/09