Fiddleheads and the Wild Leek

Jeff Green | Apr 30, 2015

Fiddleheads are one of the first green vegetables that sprout up in the spring and all we have to do is gather and clean them, then steam or boil them and add butter. The biggest trick is to find a patch and to get to that patch before the tight-headed, edible fiddleheads start to open up into ostrich ferns.

One of the great things about fiddleheads, however, is that they come back in the same location year after year. The patch that we harvest most regularly has remained as vigorous as it was when we discovered it over 20 years ago. Whether we harvest it heavily or lightly in a given year has had no impact, and whether it is a wet or dry spring has not made a difference that we have ever noted.

However, the University of Maine has done studies into the impact of harvesting on Fiddlehead patches and they conclude that it is best to harvest the fiddleheads that are found in clumps of 4 to 6, and only half of the fiddleheads in each clump.

The best way to identify fiddleheads for the first time is to seek out a prime location. The shaded shoreline of a creek bed that is covered in dried leaves from last year is a good place to start. If you get down to the ground and lightly brush away leaves you just might find a clump of up to 6 green shoots with a circle at the top that is covered in a thin, brown papery cover. The papery substance is easy to remove, revealing a fiddlehead. When the fiddleheads reach about 4 inches high, but the head has not yet started to open up, they are ready to harvest. They can be broken off by hand at or near ground level. It is best to harvest the larger ones.

If you find one clump in a location, you will likely find a lot more.

Later in the summer go back to that location and have a look at the ostrich ferns that will be there from the fiddleheads that did not get harvested. Once you know what they look like, you will be able to easily find other patches in the summer and will know where to go next spring.

There are relatives of the Ostrich Fern that appear to be similar but are not as palatable, and some are even toxic. To be certain you are harvesting ostrich ferns, there are two easy tests. There will be a deep, u-shaped groove in the stem, and there will be that papery cover over the heads. Only Ostrich ferns have these features.

The simplest way to cook Fiddleheads - and this is what we do in our house with the first pickings of the season - is to steam or boil them. Boil for 5 minutes or steam for 12 minutes, toss them with butter, garlic and lemon juice and add salt and pepper to taste.

They can also be substituted for asparagus or spinach in a number of dishes. In my mind, they are related to asparagus because the Fiddlehead season ends just as the first asparagus shoots appear.

A good way to eat Fiddleheads is in soup, and the chowder recipe below is my personal favourite.

As of Monday night, the Fiddleheads were not yet out in our location in Central Frontenac. They may be out further to the south and I expect them by this weekend

FIDDLEHEAD CHOWDER

2 Leeks

40-60 Fiddleheads

Chicken or Vegetable Stock or Water

2 to 3 potatoes (diced)

Light Cream

Salt and Pepper

Sauté the Leeks in butter. Add stock and potatoes and cook until potatoes are soft. Add the fiddleheads and cook until they turn bright green and two minutes longer (about 7 minutes). Add the cream and bring to a simmer and leave for 10 minutes. Remove about 1/4 to 1/2 of the fiddleheads and set aside. Cool the soup a bit and then process in a blender in batches. Return the chowder to the pot and put the reserved fiddleheads back in. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with homemade croutons (the store-bought ones are too salty) and grated or shaved Romano or Parmesan cheese. Bacon bits can be added if you like. And if you are lucky enough to have a supply of wild leek, the leaves can be chopped and added at the very end as well.

Wild Leek

Wild Leeks are a little earlier than Fiddleheads, and are now at their prime. They can be found in wooded areas where the sun gets through in the spring, and tend to be located in sloped land that ends at or near the lakeshore. They can be seen from the side of cottage roads throughout the region and are easy to spot as they are the only green patch against a brown leafy background this time of year (see photo)

Ludwig Ratzinger is a chocolatier by profession who also has a passion for the wild leek. Many people prize the bulb of the leek for its oniony texture and garlic flavour, but Ludwig says it is more sustainable to refrain from pulling them and snipping off the leaves instead, harvesting the bulbs only to thin thick clumps, which take years to develop.

His favourite method is to harvest leaves only in large quantities, which is easy and quick to do as leek patches can be extensive, then make a wild leek pesto, which can be frozen in ice cube trays and then bagged for year round use.

Ludwig has published Wild Leek recipes in the LCBO Food and Drink magazine. The following recipe came from that publication but has been altered slightly to make it a bit easier. The trick to the whole thing is to devote twenty minutes to standing over a pan, to slowly stir in the stock and wait for it to be soaked up by the rice. When the rice starts to be soft and has no really hard bits left it is ready to eat and should be brought to the table right away.

The natural pleasingly pervasive flavours of wild leeks are complemented by creamy rice and classic Parmesan. Serve with a piece of grilled fish or chicken, or it can stand alone as a light main course.

Risotto

1 cup (250 mL) lightly packed wild leek leaves

½ cup (125 mL) buttermilk

4 cups (1 L) chicken broth

¼ cup (50 mL) lightly packed flat or curly leaf parsley

vegetable stock or vegetable stock or broth

2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil

1 cup (250 mL) finely diced sweet onion, such as Vidalia

1 1/3 cups (325 mL) cup Arborio rice, about 8 oz (250 g)

½ cup (125 mL) dry white wine

Salt to taste

Garnish

1 tbsp (15 mL) unsalted butter

2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes or 8 to 12 small tomatoes

2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic vinegar

To Finish

¼ cup (50 mL) unsalted butter

¾ cup (175 mL) grated Parmesan cheese, about 2 oz (60 g)

1. Whirl leeks with parsley and buttermilk in a blender until puréed; set aside. Heat stock in a small saucepan, or in the microwave, until hot but not boiling. Keep quite warm.

2. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot add chopped onion; stir 3 to 5 minutes or until transparent. Then add rice all at once; stir 2 to 3 minutes or until coated and edges are becoming transparent. Pour in wine; it bubbles and absorbs very quickly. Add a ladle of stock; stir.

3. Continue to slowly add stock, stirring almost constantly with a wooden spoon, until each ladleful is absorbed. This takes 20 to 25 minutes. The rice ultimately is creamy and tender to the bite. Taste; add salt as needed, about 1/2 tsp (2 mL) if stock was completely unsalted.

4. Meanwhile, heat butter in a medium frying pan over medium heat. When bubbly, add tomatoes and vinegar. Sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until skins crack and vinegar becomes somewhat syrupy. Pull off heat; let sit in pan while finishing risotto.

5. To finish, stir butter, Parmesan and wild leek purée into risotto. Taste and add salt if needed.

6. Spoon risotto into warmed wide pasta or soup bowls. Top with sautéed tomatoes and some of the vinegar glaze. Serve right away.

Serves 4 to 6