soupnancy

Fiddleheads – 5 recipes

Oh so simple, with butter and garlic. 

Pickled, as a condiment or to jazz up a compound salad, as in a shaved fennel salad with dill and smoked salmon. 

Hot with shallots, bacon and meat jus, sherry vinegar for a nice side dish to accompany meat, fish, eggs, cheese or pasta. 

With Bercy butter for the veg wary carnivore. 

In an Asian inspired vinaigrette with wild ginger mustard, chili and sesame for a sure crowd pleaser. 

For an elegant, hearty entrée, dress them up with duck confit, balsamic glaze, black pepper and shaved parmesan.

Fiddleheads with butter and garlic

Yield: 8 servings

400 g 1 lb Fiddleheads, cleaned and double blanched

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp salted butter

pinch chilli flakes

spash Tamari 

s.q. salt, pepper

s.q. water

Method:

1. Clean fiddleheads, removing dark tip. Blanch twice in lots of boiling salted water for 2 minutes each time. Refresh each time. Reserve.

2. Sauté garlic for a minute or two in butter (no color). Add blanched fiddleheads to pan and warm through, adding a few drops of water if necessary (to emulsify butter). Season and serve as is, or add garnish of choice (chopped herbs, ramps, bacon, sundried tomato...)

Fiddleheads with Bercy butter

Yield: 6 servings

300 g fiddleheads

200g beef marrow

100 g butter

1 tbsp minced shallots

100ml white wine

1 tbsp chopped parsley

10 ml lemon juice

s.q. salt, pepper

Method:

1. Wash and trim fiddleheads, discarding any that are opened or black.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch twice for 2-3 minutes at a time, refreshing after in an ice bath, and using fresh water the second time.

3. Meanwhile, poach diced beef marrow in salted water for 2-3 minutes, drain.

4. Combine marrow and shallots, sweat a couple of minutes in a saucepan, deglaze with wine, cool.

5. Add softened butter, seasonings and combine to make compound butter.

6. When ready to serve, warm butter with half as much water and reheat fiddleheads.

Fiddleheads with shallots, bacon and meat jus, sherry vinegar

Yield: 6 servings

300 g fiddleheads

100g bacon

20 g butter

1 tbsp minced shallots

30 ml sherry vinegar

100 ml meat glaze (or reduced meat stock or demi-glace or pan drippings or miso)

1 tbsp chopped parsley and tarragon

s.q. salt, pepper

Method:

1. Wash and trim fiddleheads, discarding any that are opened or black.

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch twice for 2-3 minutes at a time, refreshing after in an ice bath, and using fresh water the second time.

2. Meanwhile, slowly cook bacon in a frying pan. When just about cooked, pour off excess grease (keeping a little), add shallots, cook until translucent. Deglaze with sherry vinegar, then meat jus or stock. Reduce down until a sauce like consistency.

3. Add fiddleheads and warm through. Toss in butter, fresh herbs and season to taste.

Add softened butter, seasonings and combine to make compound butter.

Pickled Fiddleheads

With shaved fennel salad, lemon, walnut oil

8p

400 g 1 lb Fiddleheads, cleaned and double blanched

1 c mirepoix (chopped onion, celery, leeks)

2 c dry white wine

2 c water

1 c white wine vinegar or cider vinegar

½ c sugar

2 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp. pickling spice

1 tsp fennel seeds

5 sprigs each of parsley, thyme and dill

1 head of fennel, trimmed and sliced finely on the mandolin

2 Tbsp freshly chopped herbs (parsley, dill, chives)

s.q. lemon juice (1-2 lemons)

¼ t extra virgin olive oil

s.q. salt, pepper

1 tsp lemon zest

2 Tbsp walnut oil

2 Tbsp chopped fresh walnuts or almonds or pine nuts

Garnish: (Optional)

120 g shaved parmesan or aged cow or sheep’s milk cheese

Note: You could remove walnuts and serve this with smoked salmon or fish..

Method:

1. Clean fiddleheads, removing dark tip. Blanch twice in lots of boiling salted water for 2 minutes each time. Refresh each time. Reserve.

2. Make a court bouillon by boiling water, wine, vinegar, sugar, salt, pickling spice and herb stems for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, slice fennel thinly and toss with lemon juice, a bit of olive oil and half the chopped herbs. Season and mix. Allow to sit so that fennel softens.

4. Strain court bouillon and reduce by 1/3. Pour over blanched fiddleheads. Toss in the lemon zest, allow to cool. Add the rest of the chopped parsley, dill and chives, and the rest of the olive oil. Season to taste.

5. To assemble salad, spread fennel mixture on plate as a bed, top with a mound of pickled fiddleheads in center, top with nuts and cheese, drizzle with walnut oil or hazelnut oil.

Fiddleheads with duck confit, Reggianno and balsamic glaze

Yield: 8 servings

400 g 1 lb Fiddleheads, cleaned and double blanched

1 tsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp minced shallot or onion

1 Tbsp unsalted butter or duck fat

8 confit duck legs (prepared/bought)

80 g shaved parmesan Reggianno or Quebec cheese of choice

s.q. chopped fresh herbs (parsley and/or chives and basil)

s.q. mixed greens

Balsamic reduction

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tsp sugar

Optional

4 ripe tomatoes

¼ c basil leaves

Method:

1. Make balsamic reduction by combining balsamic vinegar and sugar and reduce gently until slightly syrupy, cool.

2. Clean fiddleheads, removing dark tip. Blanch twice in lots of boiling salted water for 2 minutes each time. Refresh each time. Reserve.

3. Heat up duck confit in oven.

4. Meanwhile, sauté garlic and shallot gently in butter or duck fat until soft and translucent (a few minutes), add blanched fiddleheads and warm through. Season with salt and pepper and parsley, chives, and/or basil.

5. Serve duck hot with warm fiddlheads, top with balsamic glaze and shaved parmesan. Serve with a simple green salad and or a tomato salad.