Sautéed Fiddleheads
Wild ostrich fern fiddleheads, boiled thoroughly then sautéed in butter, a brief-season New Brunswick spring vegetable.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 90 kcal
Equipment
- •Saucepan
- •Frying pan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 90 kcal
- fat
- 6 g
- carbs
- 8 g
- protein
- 3 g
- calories
- 90
Instructions
- 1
Rinse the fiddleheads thoroughly in several changes of cold water to remove the papery brown chaff.
- 2
Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil and boil the fiddleheads for at least 12-15 minutes, this step is essential for food safety and cannot be skipped or shortened.
- 3
Drain the fiddleheads well.
- 4
Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium heat and add the garlic.
- 5
Add the boiled fiddleheads and sauté for 3-4 minutes until heated through and lightly browned in spots.
- 6
Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Chef's tips
Never eat fiddleheads raw or only lightly cooked — a full rolling boil of at least 12-15 minutes before sautéing is required to make them safe to eat.
Ingredient substitutions
- butter → olive oil for a vegan version
Storage
Best eaten the day they are cooked; boiled fiddleheads can be refrigerated up to 2 days before sautéing.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a pan with a little butter until warmed through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Undercooking the initial boil, which is a genuine food safety risk
- •Skipping the rinse, leaving grit and chaff in the dish
Serving suggestions
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