What is it about fiddleheads that attracts so much excitement? On their own, they’re a fine vegetable, with a flavor that hangs somewhere between green beans and asparagus. Is it the novelty of eating ostrich ferns, in their coiled, newly-hatched form? I think it’s partly their striking appearance, which indeed resembles the neck of a fiddle. And, most importantly, they’re one of the first local edibles, a sure sign that spring has truly sprung.
The raw product. Fresh spring fiddleheads. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
And the good news is that they’re best served simply, sautéed with a bit of butter and an allium, such as garlic, shallots, or minced onion. Here’s a favorite fiddleheads recipe that’s both easy and flavorful.
When buying fiddleheads, look for fresh, bright green, tightly coiled plants. Browning is a sure sign of age, so avoid ones that look like this.
A less-than-fresh fiddlehead specimen. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
To prepare them for cooking, wash about 1 1/4 pounds of fiddleheads in cold water and rub away any papery “scales,” then trim the ends. Because the plants are wild, it’s wise to make sure they’re thoroughly cooked before serving, to avoid the possibility of food-borne illness. So the best method is to boil them in salted water for about 10 minutes, then sauté.
Boiling in salted water not only imparts flavor, it ensures that the fiddleheads are thoroughly and safely cooked. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
While the fiddleheads are boiling, I like to brown some butter in a skillet. I like the nutty flavor that browning imparts, and the method couldn’t be simpler: Simply melt 3 tablespoons over medium-heat and let it cook until the milk solids in the butter turn a nice chestnut brown color.
The finished browned butter. Browned butter makes a great addition to this fiddlehead recipe. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
For oniony flavor, I like to add another wild spring edible: ramps, also known as wild leeks. The finely chopped stems from 5 plants is sufficient (the leaves have a more vegetal flavor, so I leave those out).
Use ramp stems as you would garlic or scallions. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Sauté the ramp stems for 4 to 5 minutes in the browned butter.
The stems will flavor the butter. Cook them over medium heat for about 4 minutes. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Drain the cooked fiddleheads and add them to the skillet with the butter and ramps. Sauté for 3 or 4 minutes to blend the flavors, then serve.
Fiddleheads, simply cooked. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
To turn this side dish fiddleheads recipe into a full meal, you can sauté 2 chopped portobello mushrooms in 3 tablespoons olive oil over high heat until they begin to caramelize.
As the mushrooms cook, their edges become brown and crisp. Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Add the cooked fiddleheads to these mushrooms and stir in the zest of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of sour cream or crème fraîche. Top with a piece of roasted salmon and you have dinner.
Paired with roasted salmon, this fiddleheads recipe yields a delicious spring meal (I used the thinly sliced ramp leaves as a garnish). Photo Credit : Amy Traverso
Do you have a favorite fiddleheads recipe?
This post was first published in 2016 and has been updated.
Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee magazine and co-host of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with WGBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.
I usually find the best time to gather fiddleheads is between Tax day (April 15th) and Mother’s Day. Wait until the flood waters recede along waterways,(rivers, streams, brooks). Always leave some of the plants so they can re-seed themselves. I pick enough to freeze for my out of state house guests. My mother ,Micmac , took us kids out every spring to fish for trout and pick ferns. A wonderful back to basics meal!
One thing about the ostrich fern: it contains an enzyme – thiaminase. If you suffer from a thiamine deficiency, then be sure to cook the fiddleheads until tender. Some chefs unfamiliar with this edible have called for barely blanching them. This doesn’t destroy the enzyme, which can aggravate the deficiency.
my parents used to take us kids to mass. near mothers day. ea. of us had a pillowcase & there was 6 of us. the worst part was cleaning them, the best part was easting them. ma used to parboil them and freeze them, we had fiddleheads in the middle of winter. finish cooking to doneness & butter them. GREAT!
Fiddleheads can be found elsewhere, but they grow wild in New England. I am a Vermonter, but now live in Scotland and have planted my own woodland fiddlehead patch in my ‘Vermont woodland” area at the back of my house). The edible fiddlehead ferns is the ostrich fern, if that helps. :j
If you live in RI…Belmont Market in Wakefield, RI has carried them. I would call to see if they are going to bring in this spring due to pandemic. I know I will be calling them. Last year they were $15.00 a pound.
I live in Florida too and I am having some shipped to me from Maine at a very reasonable price that includes free 2 day shipping with gel packs to keep them cool. Go to eBay and search for Fresh Maine Fiddleheads. Enjoy!
I live in Idaho and my husband and I traveled to New England many years ago and were delighted with fiddlehead ferns. Last 2 years I purchased a few quarts from a shop from Maine on ETSY.com–great fiddleheads and service. I’ve blanched and then froze them. In a few days I’m going to see if those I froze can be made into pickles (canned)–info from Univ. of Maine Cooperative Extension bulletin #4198.
We had brook trout and fiddleheads every spring when I lived in Maine. Once I ate too many and they gave me a real spring cleaning, if you know what I mean. I’d love to get some now. I live in FL and haven’t had them for years. Yummy!
I live in Florida too and I am having some shipped to me from Maine at a very reasonable price that includes free 2 day shipping with gel packs to keep them cool. Go to eBay and search for Fresh Maine Fiddleheads. Enjoy!
I admit that I have resorted to buying some at the local co-op, but generally I get out and forage for fiddleheads, ramps, and morels. It’s one more great thing about spring in New England.
Thanks everyone for sharing! Brook trout and wild fiddleheads and ramps
I remember as a very young kid discovering wild fiddleheads growing near a woodsy stream where where we used to play in Glastonbury Ct; I was actually frightened of them upon first sight, I thought they were aliens. Now they’ve become an annual delight and bring a smile and joy every year.
I usually find the best time to gather fiddleheads is between Tax day (April 15th) and Mother’s Day. Wait until the flood waters recede along waterways,(rivers, streams, brooks). Always leave some of the plants so they can re-seed themselves. I pick enough to freeze for my out of state house guests. My mother ,Micmac , took us kids out every spring to fish for trout and pick ferns. A wonderful back to basics meal!
One thing about the ostrich fern: it contains an enzyme – thiaminase. If you suffer from a thiamine deficiency, then be sure to cook the fiddleheads until tender. Some chefs unfamiliar with this edible have called for barely blanching them. This doesn’t destroy the enzyme, which can aggravate the deficiency.
Are Fiddleheads only found in New England or are they everywhere. Folks in Maryland and Delaware think I’m nuts!
Do you know where I can order fiddleheads, have see them advised many years ago. Thanks
my parents used to take us kids to mass. near mothers day. ea. of us had a pillowcase & there was 6 of us. the worst part was cleaning them, the best part was easting them. ma used to parboil them and freeze them, we had fiddleheads in the middle of winter. finish cooking to doneness & butter them. GREAT!
Fiddleheads can be found elsewhere, but they grow wild in New England. I am a Vermonter, but now live in Scotland and have planted my own woodland fiddlehead patch in my ‘Vermont woodland” area at the back of my house). The edible fiddlehead ferns is the ostrich fern, if that helps. :j
We have lots and lots in Washington
I just bought them from Sleepers in Me they came in 2 days and look wonderful
If you live in RI…Belmont Market in Wakefield, RI has carried them. I would call to see if they are going to bring in this spring due to pandemic. I know I will be calling them. Last year they were $15.00 a pound.
Lots of wonderful fiddleheads in Alaska:) Always fun to seek out! Thank you for recipe.
I wish i could get them shipped to Florida I miss them so much !
There are a few companies that ship them….. I got fresh lobster meat and fiddleheads from a company called Maine Lobster Now.
I live in Florida too and I am having some shipped to me from Maine at a very reasonable price that includes free 2 day shipping with gel packs to keep them cool. Go to eBay and search for Fresh Maine Fiddleheads. Enjoy!
I live in Idaho and my husband and I traveled to New England many years ago and were delighted with fiddlehead ferns. Last 2 years I purchased a few quarts from a shop from Maine on ETSY.com–great fiddleheads and service. I’ve blanched and then froze them. In a few days I’m going to see if those I froze can be made into pickles (canned)–info from Univ. of Maine Cooperative Extension bulletin #4198.
We had brook trout and fiddleheads every spring when I lived in Maine. Once I ate too many and they gave me a real spring cleaning, if you know what I mean. I’d love to get some now. I live in FL and haven’t had them for years. Yummy!
I live in Florida too and I am having some shipped to me from Maine at a very reasonable price that includes free 2 day shipping with gel packs to keep them cool. Go to eBay and search for Fresh Maine Fiddleheads. Enjoy!
Just picked 5lbs and going to cook tonight also leeks AND Morels.
I admit that I have resorted to buying some at the local co-op, but generally I get out and forage for fiddleheads, ramps, and morels. It’s one more great thing about spring in New England.
Thanks everyone for sharing! Brook trout and wild fiddleheads and ramps
I remember as a very young kid discovering wild fiddleheads growing near a woodsy stream where where we used to play in Glastonbury Ct; I was actually frightened of them upon first sight, I thought they were aliens. Now they’ve become an annual delight and bring a smile and joy every year.