Fiddlehead ferns are a favorite spring ingredient. They are the furled fronds of a young fern. They have a short season, and their flavor has been compared to other green vegetables including artichokes, asparagus and green beans. When choosing them, look for fiddleheads that are small, firm and tightly furled. You should store them in the refrigerator wrapped tightly in plastic. They won’t spoil quickly, but they will lose flavor and firmness after a couple of days. The extra bite from the walnuts and umami flavor from the anchovy fillet makes this a lovely sauce for grilled vegetables, pasta and roasted potatoes.
cups (360 ml)
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup (100 g) fiddleheads
- 2 cups (120 g) fresh basil leaves, packed
- ⅓ cup (35 g) walnuts, toasted and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 anchovy filet, chopped
- ½ to ¾ cup (120 to 180 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup (25 g) grated pecorino cheese
PREPARATION
- Cook the fiddleheads in a steamer basket set over a saucepan of boiling water. Steam for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove, rinse with cold water and drain completely.
- Place the fiddleheads in a food processor along with the basil, walnut, garlic and anchovy and process into a coarse paste.
- While processing, add the oil in a thin stream, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Scrape the mixture into a bowl and stir in the cheese.
- Use immediately over roasted baby potatoes, pasta or vegetables.
- Store, refrigerated, in a tightly sealed container up to 5 days, or portion into small containers and freeze for up to 2 months.
