I was driving into to town today with the twins on a grocery run, the sun was shining, we were singing along with the radio, the day was going well, and it was about to get better. I should have remembered, since my daffodils are in full bloom and the tulips are getting ready to burst open, that it is fiddlehead season! It took a quick glance at the Sterling fruit and veg stand’s sign to remind me, so I pulled in for a pound of fiddleheads for supper, and came out with a jar of local creamed honey (yum!), two bushels of apples, and of course some fresh fiddleheads. I could hardly wait to cook them when I found out the forager picks and brings them in fresh every morning!

My first experience with fiddleheads was back in Ontario, when I was an apprentice cook. The chef had them specially brought in from Nova Scotia for a Spring menu, I learned how to wash them, wash them again and wash them one last time, he taught me how to blanch them, and showed me a few recipes for them as well. A few years later, after making Nova Scotia home, I came across them again, at Sterlings and at Sobeys. I took home a few pounds and fell in love with them all over again!

Fiddleheads are young ferns; they are picked while they are still all tightly coiled up, so their season is short and sweet at only a couple of week longs. They are commonly used in the cuisines of North America, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and are usually sautéed, boiled, roasted or steamed. Before cooking, fiddleheads need to be washed really well, about 2 or 3 times in cold water, since they push up through mud and dirt and have a yellow/brown papery covering that needs to be washed away. Not all varieties of ferns can be eaten safely; however the bracken, ostrich, royal, cinnamon, zenmai and vegetable fern are all safe, so unless you know what you are looking for don’t go picking your own! Blanching or boiling them once before the final cooking, will help bring their bright green colour to life, remove toxins and take away some of the fiddleheads bitterness.

Personally, I like mine blanched and sautéed with garlic and butter then finished with sea salt and fresh pepper, but tonight I though I would try something a little different. Have a look at the recipe below and give it a try if you are lucky enough to find some fiddleheads while they are in season!

Happy Cooking!
Chef Ryan Skelton

Fiddleheads and Leeks with Brie and Roasted Garlic Sacchettini
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 tbsp (15 mL) each unsalted butter and olive oil
2 leeks, washed and sliced into thin rings
1 lb (454 g) fresh fiddleheads, washed well and dried
¼ cup (63 mL) diced dry cured chorizo
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ cup (125 mL) frozen sweet peas

1 tub (288 mL) Compliments Sensations Mushroom Sherry Pasta Sauce
1 package (300 g) Compliments Sensations Brie and Roasted Garlic Sacchettini

Directions:

1. Bring 2 large salted pots of water to a boil.
2. Heat the oil and butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, add the leeks and sauté until softened about 3-4 minutes.
3. Blanch the fiddleheads in the boiling water for 1-2 minutes, drain well and add to the sauté pan along with the chorizo, garlic and peas. Continue to sauté, stirring occasionally for 4-5 minutes more.
4. Heat the mushroom and sherry sauce in the microwave according to package directions. Season the fiddleheads with sea salt and pepper, taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
5. Cook the pasta in the second pot of water for 2-3 minutes, until tender. Drain well and gently toss with the mushroom sherry sauce.
6. Serve the sacchettini on a plate or in a bowl and top with the fiddleheads.