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This Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns recipe is an easy way to enjoy this spring seasonal vegetable.
The appearance of fiddlehead ferns at the grocery store is a sign of spring for me. Sometimes this foraged vegetable seems to be in the store for just a few weeks, but this year they lingered long enough for me to serve up here in early June. So if you find some of these curious shaped vegetables and aren’t sure what to do with them, I serve up the simple recipe for Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns.
Fiddlehead ferns are commonly found in the northeastern part of the United States, so it qualifies as a local vegetable for us. They are loaded with nutrients, providing a good source of antioxidants, omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids–see this source for more nutritional information.
I’ve consistently read that the ferns should be boiled first, so that’s what we do here in our recipe. After boiling for 10 minutes, the fiddlehead ferns get sautéed with a bit of garlic and soy sauce for a simple, tasty side dish.
One other prep tip: if the end of the stem is starting to get brown, you can cut that brown part off.
Wine for Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns
What do fiddlehead ferns taste like? Fiddlehead ferns have their own unique taste, but if you want to compare them with something, I’d say the flavor is a bit like asparagus. Though not quite as challenging to pair with wine, the similarity to asparagus means fiddlehead ferns are better served along with a white wine.
We most recently enjoyed this sautéed fiddlehead ferns recipe along with this grilled swordfish pasta dish. We served that with a white wine from Campania. The subtle 2012 Vadiaperti Greco di Tufo worked nicely with the fiddlehead ferns as well as our swordfish. That said, most light to medium bodied white wines should work pretty well with the fiddlehead ferns. So enjoy your ferns along with a glass of white wine!
Sautéed Fiddlehead Ferns
Fiddlehead ferns are a sign spring has arrived. This simple sautéed fiddlehead fern recipe is an easy way to enjoy the foraged vegetable.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 16 mins
- Total Time: 21 mins
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
- Category: Side dish
- Cuisine: Local
Ingredients
- ½ lb fiddlehead ferns, rinsed
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ½ tsp soy sauce
Instructions
- Boil the fiddlehead ferns for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside for a couple minutes.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the garlic, and sauté for about 1 minute.
- Add the fiddlehead ferns to the skillet. Sauté for about 5 minutes. The fiddlehead ferns are ready to serve with the rest of your meal.
Want more recipes with health green vegetables? Be sure to check out my Collards & Kale Cookbook!
Dear David, I must admit I have never had fiddlehead ferns before, but they sound wonderful sauteed like this. Are they like broccoli rabe? A wonderful and elegant dish my friend. Take care, Catherine
Thanks for the kind words, Catherine. They are a bit like broccoli rabe but a bit more mild I would say.
I’ve never had Fiddlehead ferns before and I am so intrigued! I hope I run into these at some sort of specialty store here in the South!
It sounds like they are particularly abundant in the Northeast but I know from hiking in the South there are plenty of ferns there…you might find a different variety locally than we have here.
I got to say I’ve never heard of fiddlehead Ferns before. If I saw them at the grocery store I would most likely pass them up but because you say they taste more along the lines of an asparagus then I think I need to try them asap! 🙂 Thanks for introducing me to a new food!!
always fun to find new foods!
I love picking wild fiddleheads in the spring! And I agree they do remind me of asparagus! Love your photos too!
Thanks Andrea! I haven’t had the chance to pick my own fiddleheads yet, must be neat to do that.
So whimsical. I’d love to try these delights!
★★★★★
Thanks Jill! Nice easy spring side.
I wish I could find fiddlehead ferns out here!
I get them at Whole Foods, but believe they can be found in New England, where we are.