In spring, starting in April in the South and working North into June, fiddlehead ferns are ever so briefly available. Here’s an amazing salad idea, actually an amuse-bouche, that will inspire the start of your next meal. From the cookbook Amuse-Bouche by Rick Tramonto, you will see that this beautiful dish has few ingredients and takes just moments to create. Yet, once set upon your table, it will be instantly memorable. And you will immediately long for next year’s short fiddlehead season. With good reason.
Salad of Radish and Fiddlehead Ferns
Yield: serves 6
Ingredients:
- ½ pound fiddlehead ferns (about 16 fiddleheads)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 15 red or black radishes
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh lemon juice
- Fleur de Sel or other high-quality sea salt
- Bachelor’s button flowers, for garnishing
Preparation:
Cut off the base from each fiddlehead if dry and brown. Rinse each fern well, rubbing off any brown chaff from the sides.
In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, blanch the fiddleheads for 5 to 7 minutes or until just tender. Drain and immediately submerge in cold water. Drain again.
Remove the thick stem end of each fiddlehead and reserve. Put the coiled tops in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.
Puree the reserved fiddlehead stem ends in a food processor or blender. With the motor running, add as much water as needed for a sauce-like consistency. Add the oil and process until emulsified. For a thicker sauce, add another tablespoon or so of oil. Transfer to a small bowl.
Using a Japanese mandolin or a very sharp knife, cut the radishes into paper-thin slices and add to the bowl of fiddlehead tops. Add enough olive oil to lightly coat the salad. Season to taste with pepper, lemon juice, and Fleur de Sel.
To serve, place some of the salad on a small plate along with the sauce. Garnish with bachelor’s buttons. Repeat to make 5 more servings