Cast Iron

Fiddlehead Frittata

by:
June 15, 2010
5
1 Ratings
Fiddlehead Frittata
Photo by Julia Gartland
  • Prep time 10 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Since moving to New Hampshire I've discovered fiddleheads—wild, tightly coiled, nutty-flavored, delicious. I tend to cook with them as I would asparagus—sometimes adding a bit of smoked salmon to this fritatta, for example. —mdm

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: mdm is a professor living in the wilds of New Hampshire.
WHAT: A no-fuss frittata using spring's earthy gems.
HOW: Saute your garlic, morels, and fiddleheads, pour in your eggs and cheese, let sit for a few minutes, and broil.
WHY WE LOVE IT: This is the kind of recipe we love having in our back pocket; it's perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, a snack, whether it's hot, warm, or cold. As the season changes, you can substitute your favorite produce for the fiddleheads and morels -- for now, we'll eat as much of this as we can. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 cup fiddleheads
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms (morels would be ideal)
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 4 ounces ricotta or cream cheese
  • 2 sprigs chopped parsley (optional)
  • 1 splash olive oil
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
  1. Clean fiddleheads, removing brown fuzz. Then cook in boiled water for about 10 minutes. Rinse and trim ends.
  2. Meanwhile, sauté minced garlic and sliced mushrooms in olive oil, until tender. I recommend using an oiled cast iron pan.
  3. Add cooked fiddleheads, salt and pepper, cook a few more minutes until everything is tender but not mushy.
  4. Lower heat, add chopped parsley if using.
  5. In another bowl, beat the eggs with a pinch of salt. Add cheese—okay to leave dollops.
  6. Add egg mixture to the vegetables, stir just a bit if not evenly distributed. Cook over low-med heat until eggs begin to set, around 10 minutes.
  7. Finish cooking under broiler, 3 minutes or so. Serve hot or room temperature.
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8 Reviews

hisnamewasbilly
hisnamewasbilly February 10, 2014
I have a freezer full of fiddleheads, now I have a great recipe to eat them...THANKS Prof...
 
Tania -.
Tania -. May 28, 2013
alamesa, I live in Maine where they are abundant this time of year, but couldn't think of a comparable substitute because of their flavor. I looked up fiddleheads in my Barron's Food Lover's Companion and it stated that the flavor was "akin to an asparagus-green bean-okra cross and a texture that's appealingly chewy". I don't know if that helps any, especially trying to find okra in Spain!
 
alamesa
alamesa May 28, 2013
Thanks so much! Asparagus is plentiful here at the moment and very very good and I can also get great green beans, it is possible to get okra but you have to seek it out and I'm not overly fond of it anyway. I'll try an asparagus and green bean version then. Thanks again!
 
alamesa
alamesa May 28, 2013
And one day I hope to come over to Maine to try some oysters and crab and do a seafood comparison.:-)
 
alamesa
alamesa May 28, 2013
Too bad we can't get fiddlehead in Spain. I guess the whole point is to use fiddleheads but any suggestions for an alternative?
 
SallyCan
SallyCan June 17, 2010
Curry sounds great with fiddleheads! Green? Yellow? Red? I never would have thought of it, but it makes sense. I'll have to try it the next time I get my hands on some.
 
mdm
mdm June 16, 2010
mmmmm, let's see, usually in some kind of curry (using other spring greens, onions, and whatever kind of meat/tofu I feel like), veg side dish, or to toss over pasta (grilled tomatoes and garlic are my faves). I never had them growing up on the west coast!
 
SallyCan
SallyCan June 16, 2010
This looks so good to me. Mushrooms work well with fiddleheads, as they bring out their earthy flavors. How else do you cook them?