Fiddlehead Chowder Recipe: It's Not Spring Without It!

Where I live, it isn't spring until the fiddleheads uncurl their sleepy heads from the damp earth where they grow.  These spring time delights are not only really good for you, but they are a favourite treat in these parts.  Good for you?  Um, yes!  "New research indicates that Fiddleheads have twice the antioxidant value of blueberries, with the added benefit of the full spectrum of fatty acids.  Not even fish oils can equal the Omega power of fiddleheads! -fiddleheadheaven...  That's pretty amazing!

If you are interested in trying this out for yourself and you are fortunate enough to live in a part of the world where they grow wild, I am going to post some information below the following recipe to help you learn where you can forage for these seasonal delicacies.  That's right, you can feed your family this healthy green for FREE, less the time you spend hunting for it.  If you still live in these parts and would rather enjoy them without hunting, they ca usually be found at any local produce stand, corner vegetable market or grocery store.  So, without further ado....

Fiddlehead Chowder Recipe

 2-3 pieces of bacon (the secret to every good chowder, IMO)-1+ c. Fiddleheads ( I usually use a lot more)1/2. c. white leek ( or onion in a pinch)1/4 c. green onion1/2 c. Mushrooms (optional. Shiitake for a woodsy taste)1/4 c. butter1/4 c. flour1 c. broth ( I use chicken usually)3 c. milk ( or 1/2 cream, 1/2 milk)1 tsp lemon juice1/8 c. cayenne pepper ( or to taste)


Salt and pepper to taste

Cook your bacon to crispy. Mince it up. Add and melt butter. Add all of your veggies, chopped up, leaving some of the smaller fiddleheads whole. Sauté. Add broth. Simmer. Add flour and cayenne slowly to avoid clumps. Add milk. Simmer until thick. Add lemon juice.Voila!

This is a favourite in my household, even the kids love it and ask for seconds and thirds!

So, you want to hunt for fiddleheads?  Great!  There are a few things to know:

Fiddleheads are Ostrich Ferns, or for you scientific folks who prefer the scientific name, Matteuccia struthioreris.  They grow in damp, rich soil areas and grow in clumps.  They should be picked when still tightly curled and washed thoroughly and cooked very thoroughly before eating.  There are a few different types of ferns that grow in the same areas that fiddlehead ostrich ferns grow, so one sure way to identify the edible fiddlehead is by their stem:  If it is perfectly round, like a straw, it is NOT an ostrich fern.  Ostrich fern stems are 'U' shaped, with the indent on the inside of the stem.  They also sometimes are covered with a brown papery covering.  This covering shouldn't be used to definitively identify them, however.

If you don't have time for a chowder right now, why not boil them and enjoy them with butter, salt and pepper.  Some folks enjoy them with a little vinegar.

Good luck and enjoy!!