DISH | Thai fried fiddleheads

There is no surer sign of Spring on the East Coast than fiddleheads. The edible shoots from the ostrich fern start popping up in the markets in Spring and last but a few weeks. Similar to asparagus in taste, you can pretty much put them in anything. Blanched for a salad, pureed in soup, thrown in a pasta or simply sautéd with bacon and garlic. Oh, and pickled, a perfect way to preserve the short fiddlehead season for months to come. Throw one of those in your Caesar and suddenly, game changer. 

Now, there’s a lot of information out there like even the Canadian gov on how to properly clean, store and cook fiddleheads since they have been known to cause some pretty intense food poisoning. Now, I’ll be honest. They’ve never made me sick nor do I take any extra special precautions. I do buy from reputable farms who clean and rinse the crap out of them like my man Pelley of Fiddle Hop Farm. They never last more than a day or two so storage isn’t an issue. But when cooking them I certainly do not boil or steam them for the recommended 12-15 minutes. Mushy vegetables are the last thing I’m going to eat and the reason why I think a lot of people hate vegetables like asparagus or brussel sprouts. Tender crisp is where it’s at. So a quick blanch then some frying should do the trick. But if you’re weary, boil those suckers for as long as you see fit. 

Come Spring we generally pair those fiddleheads with a good dose of butter and bacon because what can’t be made awesome with butter and bacon. I mean really. But this season, we wanted to shake things up and hit those ferns with something new. Lately, I’ve been getting into Thai and Asian cooking. There is just something about how they balance flavour. Sweet, spicy, bitter, umami, and sour are all invited to the party. It’s a nice change from the bland or overtly sweet and greasy food we’re known for here on the East. 

Inspired by the cookbook Pok Pok, from the restaurant in Portland, Oregan of the same name, I decided to pair the fiddleheads with chiles, garlic, and shrimp paste, the basis of many a Thai dish. Add to that crispy fried shallots and you’ve got a killer Spring side dish. With but a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes, this couldn’t be easier. Plus, if you opt to buy crispy fried shallots at the Asian grocer – and you do – you can even skip that step. Though you’ll then have to try to stop yourself from eating the whole bag. 

With another bag of fiddleheads in the fridge, we’re thinking Chinese next. Spring is some delicious.