Need some serious help with fiddleheads
One of my favorite things about Spring is the appearance of fiddleheads on restaurant menus and in local markets. Every preparation I've had of these lovely fern heads have pleased me beyond words, except that is, when they are prepared by myself. When I make them, they end up soggy, mushy and well.. like babyfood. I've tried boiling them, steaming them, blanching and sauteing them, everything. I know they have to be cooked for at least ten minutes, but it's just too long for my little guys it seems. I'm getting a little sick of "fiddlehead puree" and would love some advice!
thanks in advance
Beccaroo
May 10, 2006 09:48PM
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Have you try to rinse them under cold water or even soak them into ice water after the boiling process, the cold will stop the cooking process. Can I recommend you to pickle them, the vinegar and sugar will keep them crisp and therefore keep them longer, since the season is very short.
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Here's the best prep when you're planning to eat them on their own; it usually eliminates the grassy flavour some people object to, even as it brings out their mineral earthiness. Trim the stalks. Rinse well, removing all chaff. Soak in cold acidulated water for 30 minutes or so. (You can acidulate the water with lemon juice, 1 medium lemon for 1½ to 2 cups water.) Drain. Melt some butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the fiddleheads and cook for 8-10 minutes, adjusting the heat so the butter doesn't burn and turning the sprigs 2-4 times in the process. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the skillet, leaving the butter behind. Serve immediately.
If you're going to use them in other preparations (e.g. combined with mushrooms, béchamel and cheese in a baked pie), just clean them and blanch them for 2-3 minutes in salted boiling water.
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Hi Beccaroo,
We have a board that's perfect for your question. Please repost this on our Home Cooking board, where our cooks hang out and swap tips on making food yourself.
It's also where cookbooks, cooking equipment and most things related to preparing food yourself are discussed.
Folks, please wait until she's had a chance to repost, because we'll be removing this thread soon.
Link: http://chowhound.com/boards/cooking/c...
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First of all, sorry about the mispost... I thought there must be a reason why no one asked cooking questions on here, and now I know.
I'll move this to the other board, but I wanted to thank Carswell and TeeTee for the great suggestions. I bought a huge bagfull at the market this morning and hope to put the tips to use tonight!
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