They say you shouldn’t go to the grocery store hungry because you will over-buy. A corollary to that adage would be, “Don’t go to Russo’s at the peak of Spring.” I’m like a kid in a candy shop, throwing everything in my cart – fresh English peas, morels, fiddlehead ferns, asparagus and ramps.
As I unloaded my bags at home, I thought about what I could make with my bounty. I could make a mélange of vegetables to serve with fish, but I wanted each vegetable to have a chance to shine. Instead, I opted to spread the wealth across several meals. The first meal, I wrote about here: a rather straightforward dish that I replicate in similar fashion every year.
For my second spring meal, I wanted to take a new direction. I found a recipe for fiddleheads that marinates them with soy sauce and sesame oil. This seemed like the perfect accompaniment to teriyaki. And when I make teriyaki, I usually add shiitakes, morels seemed like the logical spring substitution.
The vinaigrette for the fiddleheads is reminiscent of the bean sprout salads served in Japanese and Korean restaurants. I would use this same preparation in the future with bean sprouts.
Fiddlehead Salad
½ pound fiddlehead ferns
1 teaspoons sugar
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 ½ tbs. sesame oil
1 ½ tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
- Soak fiddleheads in water. Let the dirt settle to the bottom. Lift them out, and drain on a paper towel. Repeat this process two more times.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously. Add fiddleheads, and cook for three minutes, or until bright green. Drain well and shock them in an ice bath.
- In a bowl combine sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add drain the fiddleheads and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with morels and teriyaki glazed fish or chicken.