Fiddleheads as Delectable Vegetables
Question: What is a fiddlehead? Where can I find it in the grocery store?
Answer: “A fiddlehead is not a species of fern but a growth stage of any fern,” according to Elizabeth Schneider, author of “Uncommon Fruits & Vegetables--A Commonsense Guide” (Harper & Row: 1986, $25). “When the tightly coiled new frond (or crosier) pokes up through the soil but has not yet begun to uncurl, it is called a fiddlehead.
“Picked small, then cooked soon thereafter, fiddlehead ferns have a flavor that embraces asparagus, artichokes and green beans (plus a hint of mushroom); the chewy texture is all their own.”
Schneider also advises: “If you are plucking your own ferns from the moist forest floor, you should know that there is a great deal of disagreement about which species are edible and which are not. Although many types of fiddleheads have long been gathered for springtime delectation, there is considerable evidence that some (particularly the bracken fern, Pteridium aquilinum, consumed here and in Japan) may be extremely carcinogenic. While all the manuals I consulted found ferns in the small fiddlehead stage to be comfortably comestible, Dr. John Mickel, fern curator at the Bronx Botanical Garden in New York, was adamant that the ostrich fern, the fiddlehead commonly marketed, is the only one that is definitely non-carcinogenic.”
Fiddleheads are available from April through early July, usually in specialty markets. Schneider recommends selecting jade-green ferns that are bouncy, firm and bright, not flabby or yellowed. Choose spring-coiled, small sprouts, no more than 1 1/2 inches in diameter with no more than a few inches of tail (if any), or the fern will be fibrous and tough.
The ferns spoil rapidly, quickly losing their fresh flavor and elastic tone. Store only a short time or to freeze: clean and trim the ferns, drop into boiling water, return to a boil and cook 1 minute. Drain, drop in ice water, then drain again. Pack airtight and freeze.
Simplest Preparations
“While in theory you might use fiddlehead ferns in any way that you would green beans or Brussels sprouts, I find their special qualities underscored only in simplest preparations,” Schneider says. “Think of them as you would artichoke hearts or asparagus. Serve the trimmed, boiled coils with melted butter and lemon, or a light cream, cheese, Hollandaise, or Maltaise sauce; or douse with a gentle vinaigrette. Use them as a first course, to garnish meats, as a side dish, or as a salad.”
To prepare fiddleheads, trim the base of each fern to leave only a tiny tail beyond the circumference of each circular shape. Some fiddleheads will need to have the fuzzy or papery brown covering or scales removed by being rubbed between your palms. All should be rinsed.
Address questions on food preparation to You Asked About,Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053. Personal replies cannot be given.
