Fiddleheads, what's your favorite way to prepare them?

[JP Z]

Well, the Fiddles are juuuust starting to pop up and I'm just thinking of ways to prepare them.  First time I had them was last year and I boiled a few times as I've been told to take out the toxins, then I sauteed in olive oil with salt and pepper and added them to some pasta sauce was quite good.

[Neighbor_guy]

Raw with a little homemade dill dip...

(sour cream, chopped dill, splash of cider vinegar)

or stir fried in a little peanut oil. 

[JP Z]

When you say "raw" that's after par boiling a while to kill the toxins right?

[Neighbor_guy]

Nope, I've never boiled them. 

[teal50]

We like adding fiddleheads on pizza, done on the Green Egg.  In addition, to tasting good,they add a neat visual element.  We also parboil first.

[leech~~]

On 5/2/2016 at 8:29 AM, JP Z said:

When you say "raw" that's after par boiling a while to kill the toxins right?

I never tried them yet but heard this is a good idea to do. Good thing Neighbor_guy's our Guinea Pig!

[eyeguy 54]

@Huntfish     

[Neighbor_guy]

Well, they haven't killed me yet. I'm not saying I toss them in a bowl and eat 3-4cups at a time. But 2-3 at a time raw won't kill you. Its like asparagus, you will crunch your way through a stem or two raw and par boil or cook the rest. Same with fiddle heads. Eat a few raw, cook the rest. 

I just prefer them crunchy. 

[JP Z]

That Makes MUCH more sense!!!  I mean who doesn't like to snack on a raw chicken breast while you're frying the rest up....

[Neighbor_guy]

Well not raw chicken... But I have been known to eat at least one entire venison chop raw while preparing the rest for the pan or grill. As long as it's a deer that I butchered and I know the history from bullet to plate. I will gladly and redily eat it raw. Even feed it to my kid raw. Just a sprinkle of kosher salt or on a rits cracker. 

[pikestabber]

This is only my third year collecting fiddleheads. Turns out I have a huge patch just off my lawn. First year I picked a couple gallons, carefully washed them, parboiled, and vacuum sealed most of them. First meal out of the freezer and blegghh! Baby food... Like most anything else, when they freeze, the cell walls explode, and you have mush. Tasty mush, but no thanks...

Year two I experimented with some pickle recipes, and this was the ticket for me. Did one regular batch, one spicy batch. Both were good. Learned that vinegar+red pepper flakes+serrano powder = tear gas. UNBEARABLE. Mrs. Pikestabber was pregnant at the time (aka, super human nose) and still ribs me now and again over that one. Spicy batches of brine get cooked outside now

This year I did all pickles again and made them all with garlic and jalapenos. Will see in the next day or two how they are (they've been canned up for about a week now).

Edited May 17, 2016 by pikestabber

[JP Z]

Thanks PS, might have to go see if there are still a few Fiddles out there to be had.........where was your response like 3 weeks ago????????

[leech~~]

You may be hard pressed to find any fiddles heads out there by now.

[pikestabber]

16 hours ago, JP Z said:

Thanks PS, might have to go see if there are still a few Fiddles out there to be had.........where was your response like 3 weeks ago????????

Ha! I like to wait until things are just out of range and then give out ideas. :)

It might be the end of the season for me, too. They do grow a week or two later up here than your area, or so it seems... Might even be able to scrounge up a few yet, but most are knee high now.