Mmm.... Fiddleheads!
Well it's that time of year that I can finally get my beloved fiddleheads. How many of you have ever tried them and if so, what do you think of them?
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13 Comments:
I haven't had some in a while being in Ohio. I ate it frequently when I lived in Hawaii or visited Japan. Since my visits to HI are only once per year, that's about as often as I have it. It's great with ramen or as a side just steamed.
*sigh*
Cassaendra at 12:02AM on 05/20/08
Love them!!
One of my "things to hunt down" when spring really arrives. Wish there were more here!
Love them steamed or in a cream sauce with a little cheese....in pasta dishes...etc. yummy.
sadiepix at 12:46AM on 05/20/08
It's funny because I've been eating dried fiddlehead and stems all my life as they are frequently found in Korean dishes. Then several years ago, I saw Emeril sauteeing up big, fat, bright green, fresh fiddleheads. You could have knocked me over with a fiddlehead fern. I still haven't tried the fresh, haven't been able to find any in my area.
If anyone is familiar with the Korean fernbracken and the American & Canadian fresh fiddleheads, could you tell me the differences and similarities?
wookie at 1:28AM on 05/20/08
I've only been able to enjoy fiddlehead ferns once in my life. I was lucky enough at the time to work with someone who hailed from New Hampshire and he coached me about their prep. I made them with butter, vinegar, S&P. They were very good.
I got them at Dean & DeLuca at the time. The season for fiddleheads is about 16 minutes long :(.
chiff0nade at 5:22AM on 05/20/08
@wookie........once again, I was forced to research a food I had never heard of before. Wikipedia was pretty informative and listed many of the different varieties. Check it out.
Fiddlehead sounded like a fish to me. At my advanced age, there is still so much to learn and that is downright exciting!
PerkyMac at 7:58AM on 05/20/08
Fiddleheads are amazing! Grew up picking and eating them in Eastern Ontario. They are more common and popular in the Atlantic provinces of Canada. But we can buy them in season (right now! For about two weeks, that's all!) in our grocery store - they ain't cheap - 4.99 a pound but soooo worth it.
I simply boil or steam them and serve buttered with a bit of salt.
One point of caution tho - they have a similar reaction as asparagus when you pee the next day - except your urine is more brown than normal, rather than green. I know TMI, but hey, rather let someone know that have them panicked that they ate something that made them sick.
Maureen at 11:37AM on 05/20/08
Maureen--thanks for the non-medical advice. Several years ago I ate the fiddleheads out of my shade garden at home (because I'm cheap and adventurous and for heaven's sakes they were RIGHT THERE) and, though delicious, I thought I'd really gone and done it when the bladder told the tale (I thought my kidneys were failing).
Bobby Flay claims he can't stand fiddleheads (or lentils, though they've grown on him), and I can't quite figure out why...
HappyHoarfrost at 3:09PM on 05/20/08
I saw fiddleheads at the supermarket today! (5.99 a lb) I was SO. SO. tempted, since I've had them before as sansai in noodle soups.
But I was afraid to bring them home and not know what to do with them (not to mention my family not touching them)...
Agh, I'm still thinking about those curly, delectable little treats...
fuuchan at 3:39PM on 05/20/08
Fiddleheads can be substituted for asparagus in most preparations. They cook a similar amount of time, and do well steamed, sauteed, in soups, though not grilled or broiled. I've put them in stir fries with carrot, onion and oyster sauce, on pasta with butter, cream and morels, in scrambled eggs with shallots, in udon soup with a poached egg.
thatgrrl at 5:41PM on 05/20/08
oo i've only had fiddleheads once and they were soooo yummy it was about two years ago and i still think about it! saw some at the farmer's market in union square on saturday but a) they were expensive and b) i didn't know what to do with them. now i hope i haven't missed my chance!
billyburgwife at 6:45PM on 05/20/08
I've never had them, but have heard sooo many people wax poetic about them. Maybe they just don't do wel in Southern California...I comb my Farmer's Market and local "fancy pants" market, but to no avail.
rosezilla at 1:01PM on 05/21/08
Fiddleheads are great as a salad. I just blanch the soft tips for a minute or two, top it with some chopped onions and tomatoes and serve it with a simple vinigairette. It can also be dipped in batter and fried tempura style.
lynell at 7:01PM on 05/27/08
I enjoy fiddleheads a few times each spring. Typically, I steam them and then toss them is a little garlic and olive oil. I add the S&P at the table. Yum
MeMeg at 12:45PM on 05/28/08