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Brown Sugar Miso Fiddleheads

May 19, 2015 By Rachel 8 Comments

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miso-fiddleheads

I’m lucky enough to live in a town that, in season, has a buzzing farmer’s market. Most of my vegetables come from my crop share, but for a few things, like mushrooms and unusual items like fiddleheads, I hit the farmer’s market. This week was the first farmer’s market of the season, and with it came lots of spring things, my favorite of which was these fiddleheads.

Fiddleheads are the young, green shoots of ferns that are harvested in the early spring. They are typically foraged, but cooks should proceed with caution as some ferns are poisonous. That said, it’s best to get your fiddleheads from an expert forager at your local farmer’s market. Uncooked fiddleheads have been known to cause food-borne illness, so it’s important to cook them through. In my opinion, fiddleheads have a mild and nutty asparagus-type flavor, thus they pair well with similar flavors as asparagus does. Aside from being a tasty spring treat that’s only available for a breath of time, part of the charm and appeal of the fiddlehead is it’s beauty. Like their namesake, their appearance mimics that of the scroll on top of a fiddle or violin. I feel that much of their beauty lies in the fact that they are one of nature’s elaborate displays of the Golden Mean.

Today’s recipe for Brown Sugar Miso Fiddleheads is sweet and savory. Because of their scarcity and expense, I served them in small portions as an appetizer – a delectable spring treat! For readers in the Philadelphia area, I got my fiddleheads at the Lansdale Farmer’s Market from the expert growers and foragers at Mainly Mushrooms.

Brown Sugar Miso Fiddleheads

Serves: 3

Prep Time: 10 minutes                       Cook Time: 6 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 lb fiddleheads
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp white miso
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds

washed-fiddleheads

Directions

1. Wash and pat dry your fiddleheads. Once dried, cut the brown ends off and immediately place in a pot of water to prevent re-browning. (It’s best to store your fiddleheads in the refrigerator in a bowl of water until you’re ready to use them. This will also serve to clean them.)

trimming-fiddleheads

2. Bring your fiddleheads to a boil and gently boil for 3-4 minutes, then immediately remove them from the hot water and submerge in cold water to stop further cooking.

3. Mix together brown sugar, white miso, rice vinegar, ginger, and water until smooth, and set aside. I used frozen ginger to save on prep time.

brown-sugar-miso

4. In a pan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, then add the fiddleheads. Sauté 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and miso mixture to the pan and cook for an another 2 minutes until the sauce becomes bubbly and thick.

5. Garnish with black sesame seeds and serve immediately.

cooking-fiddleheads

 

fiddleheads

 

brown-sugar-fiddleheads

Brown Sugar Miso Fiddleheads
 
Print
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
6 mins
Total time
16 mins
 
Brown Sugar Miso Fiddleheads are a sweet, savory, and delectable spring treat.
Author: Rachel Hanawalt
Recipe type: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • ½ lb fiddleheads
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp white miso
  • 1 tsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds
Instructions
  1. Wash and pat dry your fiddleheads. Once dried, cut the brown ends off and immediately place in a pot of water to prevent re-browning. (It's best to store your fiddleheads in the refrigerator in a bowl of water until you're ready to use them. This will also serve to clean them.)
  2. Bring your fiddleheads to a boil and gently boil for 3-4 minutes, then immediately remove them from the hot water and submerge in cold water to stop further cooking.
  3. Mix together brown sugar, white miso, rice vinegar, ginger, and water until smooth, and set aside. I used frozen ginger to save on prep time.
  4. In a pan, heat the sesame oil over medium heat, then add the fiddleheads. Sauté 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and miso mixture to the pan and cook for an another 2 minutes until the sauce becomes bubbly and thick.
  5. Garnish with black sesame seeds and serve immediately.
3.3.3070

 

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Filed Under: Appetizers, Recipes Tagged With: Farmer's Market, Ferns, Fiddleheads, Foraged, Miso, Sesame Seeds, Spring, Vegan, Vegetarian

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Comments

  1. Lynn | The Road to Honey says

    May 20, 2015 at 1:28 pm

    Having moved to New England not too long ago, I finally purchased my first bag full of fiddleheads this week. This post is perfect as I have no idea how to cook these little beauties.

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 20, 2015 at 4:42 pm

      Thanks Lynn! Enjoy! They really are a treat!

      Reply
  2. SAFRO says

    May 21, 2015 at 6:45 am

    very Asian recipes. Unfortunately, we find difficult to sell white miso. But in our region are very fond of ferns and added to salads, soups, and stir-fry

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      May 21, 2015 at 7:48 am

      I’m sorry to hear that it might be difficult for you to get your hands on some white miso. But yes, ferns add a lot of flair when they’re added to all kinds of dishes!

      Reply
  3. June says

    June 2, 2016 at 10:43 pm

    This was absolutely delicious! I happened to have all the ingredients on hand and it was super fast and so tastey – its a keeper recipe! Loved it so much I’m going to buy more fiddleheads and see if they freeze ok so I can still make this after they’re not in stores anymore. Thanks for sharing this grat recipe!

    Reply
    • Rachel says

      June 3, 2016 at 9:54 am

      Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed this recipe June! I’ve never frozen fiddleheads before. If you decide to give it a go be sure to come back and let me know how it works out. Maybe I need to start squirreling them away as well.:) They have such a brief season!

      Reply
      • June says

        August 13, 2016 at 9:58 am

        Turns out they are not freezable When i defrosted them in the fridge, they turned black and the texture changed to soggy, rubbery-like and had to throw them out. So looks like we can only enjoy them fresh during their brief spring appearance. Having said that, your recipe has become one of my main “go to’s” for a fast tasty asparagus, broccoli or green bean supper year round.Yummy!

        Reply
        • Rachel says

          August 18, 2016 at 7:08 pm

          Oh boy… Thanks for the FYI. I definitely won’t be freezing fiddleheads! It’s sad that their season is so short lived! Asparagus, broccoli and green beans sound like a tasty alternative though. 🙂

          Reply

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Hi, I'm Rachel! Welcome to Simple Seasonal, a resource for simple, healthful, and delicious recipes that help you make the most of seasonal produce from your local farmer's market, CSA, or home garden. Simple Seasonal is committed to a whole foods diet. With an occasional cookie... ;)


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