Fiddlehead ferns are a fleeting delight.
Emma Alter
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I was so excited to see fiddleheads in the farmers' market last week, and as I mentioned in an earlier post I was kicking myself for not getting more. And then I was chastised by my son for not getting him any. So tomorrow if they still have some, I'll be getting two pounds. You have to buy fiddleheads as soon as you see them, because they may not be there the next time you shop. Unlike other vegetables that you harvest as they grow, fiddleheads are no longer eaten once they unfurl into ferns. One of the things I love about fiddleheads is that their flavour is unique. As with truffles, there isn't anything else that tastes like them.
The trick to enjoying fiddleheads is to clean them properly. If you don't get the brown crepe like covering off the fern they will be so bitter as to be inedible. Seth at Forbes Wild Foods, who was selling them at the farmers' market was telling people that you boil them for a minute or two and then drain them and rinse them in cold water and then cook them. I've heard of people who rinse them over and over in cold water and pick the brown stuff off with their fingers. I think my method is much easier. I take a sturdy brown paper bag (our liquor stores sell wine in the perfect weight of paper for this task), hold it at both ends and shake it. Then I take them out leaving the detritus and put them in a clean bag and repeat the process. Usually two bags will do. Then I rinse them under cold water and I'm ready to cook them.
When we came home from the market, I had to cook the fiddleheads right away. Not only was I really excited about finding them, but my son's girlfriend Becca had never tasted them and she was keen to try them. I decided to cook them in the most straightforward way possible for Becca to get the true flavour without any competition from other ingredients. After cleaning them I steamed them for about 8 minutes until they were tender (if they are larger you might have to go for 10 or so minutes) then added a tiny bit of butter and a bit of fleur de sel. They were heavenly. When we had them a few nights ago, I tossed them into a tofu stir fry. As I often do, I made this up as I went along, so I'm giving you the recipe as I remember it. Always taste as you go along, especially if you aren't using a recipe, and adjust the seasonings to the way you like it. I tend to do salty and spicy stir fries, but if you like a sweeter sauce, use hoisin sauce instead of the black beans and chili sauce.
Stir Fry Tofu with Fiddleheads
1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 inch of ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 onion, diced
1 cup fiddleheads, cleaned carefully
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp fermented black beans (or 1 tsp black bean sauce)
1 tbsp hot chili sauce
1 lb firm tofu, cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cilantro, chopped
cooked rice for 4
1. Heat oil in wok over medium high heat. Add garlic, ginger and onions and cook until onions are translucent. Reduce heat if the garlic starts to brown.
2. Add fiddleheads, stock, soy sauce, black beans, fish sauce, chili sauce and tofu and cook for another 10-12 minutes, until the fiddleheads are tender and the tofu is heated through.
3. Stir the cilantro into the tofu mixture, and serve over rice.
Difficulty Level: Easy
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