Quick Marinated Fiddleheads
You need:
- 5 lbs. fresh fiddleheads
- 1 lb. fresh wild leeks, ramps or scallions
- Fresh peppers - hot or mild - to taste
- Fresh herbs - basil, tarragon, thyme, rosemary and chives (finely cut)
- 5 cups apple cider or wine vinegar
- 5 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tbs. sugar and salt to taste
Directions:
- Blanch fiddleheads in boiling water for 1 minute
- Remove from heat, drain, rinse an cool fiddleheads
- Clean and cut up peppers, leeks and herbs
- Pour vinegar over fiddleheads in a non-reactive container
- Add peppers, leeks, herbs, sugar and salt
- Stir to wet all ingredients
- Add the olive oil and stir again
- Refrigerate 24 hours before serving
Fiddlehead Dip
You need:
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 10 to 14 ounces fiddleheads, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup grated cheddar or Swiss cheese
- 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh sweet onion (such as Vidalia or Maui)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)
- Put the garlic clove in the bowl of a food processor and mince
- Add the fiddleheads, pulse to mince
- Add the mayonnaise and pulse just to mix
- Scrape the mixture into a medium sized bowl and fold in the cheeses
- Lightly oil three, one cup crocks and divide the mixture evenly between the crocks
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned
- Sprinkle with chopped tomato and onion and serve warm with crackers or bread
- Makes about 12 1/4 cup servings
Fiddlehead and Shrimp Medley
You need:
- 1 pound fiddleheads
- 6 ounces linguine, uncooked
- 6 cups water
- 1 3/4 pounds shrimp, fresh or frozen
- 1 teaspoon margarine
- 2/3 cup onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup green pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Directions:
- Cut off ends of fiddleheads, remove scales and wash thoroughly
- Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan; add shrimp and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until done
- Drain shrimp well and set aside
- Cook fiddleheads in boiling water for ten minutes, then drain well
- Coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray, add margarine and heat until margarine melts
- Add onion and green pepper and saute until crisp-tender
- Stir in fiddleheads
- Meanwhile, cook pasta, without salt or oil, drain well, set aside and keep warm
- Add sliced mushrooms, thyme, pepper, salt and celery seed to vegetable mixture and stir well
- Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring often
- Stir in shrimp and lemon juice; cook until heated through, stirring often
- Place pasta on a large platter and spoon shrimp and vegetable mixture on top
- Serve immediately
- Serves 6 people
Steamed Fiddleheads with Wild Leek Sauce
You need:
- 1 pound of fiddhleads
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped wild leek greens
Directions:
- Steam the fiddleheads over boiling water for 5 minutes or until they are crisp-tender
- Drain, then chill in a bowl of ice and cold water to stop the cooking
- When they have cooled, drain in colander
- In a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, wild leek greens
- Add salt and pepper to taste, whisking until the sauce is smooth
- Serve the fiddleheads on a platter, topped with the sauce
- Serves 4 to 6 people
Cream of Fiddlehead Soup
You need:
- 2 pounds fiddleheads
- 1 large white onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5-6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped coarsely
- 1 cup non-(or low) fat sour cream
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Cook onion in 2 tablespoons of butter over low heat in a large pot until transparent
- Add fiddleheads and a little salt and pepper, stir for about 5 minutes until tender
- Remove 5 or so of the fiddleheads, carefully slice each into two cross-sections and set aside
- Add 5 cups broth, rice and sage and simmer until rice is soft (about 10-15 minutes)
- Puree soup in a blender in small batches, until blended and smooth
- Return all soup to the large pot
- Over low heat, strir in heavy cream and sour cream, add a little more broth until the consistency is to your liking
- Bring to a boil, whisk in remaining tablespoon of butter
- Add lemon juice, stir
- Serve in small bowl and garnished with cross-sectioned fiddleheads
Black Pepper Crusted Scallops with Fiddlehead Relish
You need:
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 3 medium red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
- 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup small diced red onions
- 2 tablespoons small diced red bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons small diced yellow bell peppers
- 1/4 pound fiddleheads, blanched
- 1/2 pound crabmeat
- 12 sea scallops
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 1/2 cup coarse black pepper
Directions:
- In a saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil
- When the oil is hot, add the onions, season with salt and pepper and saute for 1 minute
- Add the peppers and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute for 1 minute
- Add the stock and bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 6 minutes
- Remove from heat
- Using a hand-held blender or food processor, puree until smooth, season with salt and pepper, set aside and keep warm
- In a large saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil
- When the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers, season with salt and pepper and saute for 1 minute
- Add the fiddleheads and saute for 1 minute
- Remove from heat and put in mixing bowl
- Add the crabmeat and parsley into the mixing bowl, season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly
- Season the scallops with salt
- Crust both sides of each scallop with the black pepper
- In a large saute pan, heat the remaining oil
- When the oil is hot, add the scallops and sear for 2 minutes on each side
- Remove from heat
- To serve, spoon some of the sauce in the center of each of 4 plates
- Mound the relish in the center of the sauce
- Arrange three scallops around the relish on each plate
Trout With Fiddlehead Ferns
You need:
- 1 whole trout, cleaned
- 2 tablespoons margarine, divided
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 ounces fiddlheads, chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
- 1 beaten egg
Directions:
- Preheat overn to 400 degrees F
- Lightly grease a baking sheet
- Spread about half of the margarine over the whole trout, inside and out
- Combine the flour, salt and pepper and use to coat the inside and outside of the trout
- Melt remaining margarine in a large skillet over medium heat
- Lightly saute the fiddleheads until just tender; season with salt, pepper adn tarragon, add the lemon juice and white wine and cook for one minute
- Transfer the contents of the fiddlehead pan to a bowl, and mix with egg and bread crumbs
- Stuff trout with the mixture and place on the greased baking sheet
- Bake uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated overn, or until the fish flakes with a fork
- Serve immediately
- Makes 2 servings
Fiddlehead and Leek Soup
You need:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup leeks, white parts, chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 5 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 pound fiddleheads, cleaned
- 1 cup parsnips, peeled, chopped
- 1 cup celery, with leaves, chopped
- 2 cups light cream
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- In large soup pot, melt butter
- Add leeks and cook over low heat until softened (do NOT brown) and stir in flour
- Cook for 2 minutes over low heat
- Gradually whisk in stock
- Add fiddleheads, parsnips and celery
- Bring to boil, stirring, over medium heat
- Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes
- Remove soup from heat and puree in a blender
- Return soup to pot
- Serve immediately
- Stir in cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper
- Makes 8 servings
|
|
