Balsamic Fiddleheads
Have you guys seen/heard of fern fiddleheads? I hadn’t until about this time a year ago. A couple of my girlfriends and I went up to Maine for a girls weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday. We went out for a nice dinner and I had a risotto dish with fiddleheads.
Since that first experience with this curvey veggie, I knew I wanted to find some to cook at home for Hubby. This past weekend, at my first trip to the grocery store after our trip, I stumbled upon a basket of fiddleheads. I instantly snatched some up and headed home.
Hubby was a bit skeptical when he saw me preparing these for dinner. Once he took a couple bites, he agreed that they were a special treat. The flavor is very mild, similar to the stalk of broccoli or asparagus, but even more subtle.
I researched some techniques for cooking fiddleheads online and came up with this recipe. The sweetness from the shallot and balsamic play really well with the subtle vegetables. We both enjoyed this dish so much that I made it the next night for dinner too!
Two Years Ago: Homemade Chicken Broth and Veggie Chicken Soup in the Crockpot
Three Years Ago: Mounds Cupcakes
Balsamic Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads are a great spring/summer vegetable to mix things up with
Yield: Serves 2
Ingredients:
1/2 lb fern fiddleheads
1 Tbsp butter
1 shallot
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Directions:
Set a medium pot of water to boil.
While water is boiling, fill a medium bowl with cool water.
Using kitchen sheers, trim the ends of the fiddleheads and toss into water.
Swirl fiddleheads around in water to wash them. Leave in bowl until water is boiling.
Once water starts boiling, add fiddleheads to boiling water. Discard bowl of water and boil fiddleheads for 5 minutes. Fill the same bowl with clean cold water and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a medium skillet. Once butter starts to foam, add shallots and stir to coat with butter.
After the fiddleheads have boiled for 5 minutes, remove them and plunge into the bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process.
Add the garlic to the skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the fiddleheads to the skillet and cook a few minutes.
Stir in balsamic vinegar and coat vegetables. Cook another minute and serve.
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
This dish sounds great! I love sweet potatoes and black beans together, and the cilantro and lime sound like the perfect flavor additions.
My fiance isn’t the biggest fan of beans so I try to “sneak” them into dishes and this looks a great recipe to try out!
I absolutely adore sweet potatoes but wud have never thought of flavoring them with cilantro and lime. This sounds like it would turn out super delicious.
We always have black beans in the house too and they are just perfect with sweet potatoes too – yum!
Oh dear, I never thought of pairing these 4 fave flavors together. Amazing : )
Yum! I love black beans and I also love that they are super good for you. I think this would be an awesome quick weeknight dinner!
perfect combo of tastes. I would love to try this one.
Mmmm what a refreshing twist on sweet potatoes! These sound hearty and delicious!
What a great recipe and beautiful photo. Black beans and sweet potatoes (and cilantro, for that matter!) are a couple of my favorite foods, so I know that I’d love this!
Yum! I love black beans in salads. This sounds great!
And great pictures, too!
Made a half recipe and loved it hot or cold! Took to a work pot luck and a hit with everyone. Thanks for another great recipe.