When lemon meets the spring-treat of fiddleheads and they’re married with lemon, well, let’s just say it makes for an astoundingly memorable bite of food.
These little beauties are found for an extremely short period of time between April and May, and so when you see them, get a wiggle on. Pounce on them. And don’t be shy to exclaim in joy if you see fiddleheads at the farmer’s market or grocery store!
They are an unbelievable treat.
Their taste is kind of like if asparagus and green beans had a child born of love near a muddy stream in the shade.
Of course, considering where they grow, you may need to spend some time getting the dirt off of their papery skins.
And while that can be a tedious chore depending on how dirty they are, just prepared to get Zen.
Put on that podcast you’ve been saving for a rainy day.
Throw on that new Beyoncé album.
Revisit some Stereolab and shake your tushie while you run them under cold water.
There’s no shame in boogying in the kitchen, especially when the outcome gets you some perfectly clean fiddleheads!
You can steam them or boil them, the choice is up to you.
I weirdly prefer to boil them just for ease of preparation, and because I cook them in lemon water, I feel like it’s kind of gilding the lily.
And there’s nothing wrong with that.
Then I just boil them for food safety, toss them with butter, even more lemon, and then just a titch of dill.
Talk about gilding the lily!
And they make a weeknight meal feel you’re dining with royalty like the Queen of England, or your favorite forager, depending on what your idea of “dining with royalty” is.
So, if you see some fiddleheads grab them up and rush into the kitchen with them.
You’ll be glad you did.
Also, here’s a great article about foraging fiddleheads ethically that I think you’ll enjoy.
Lemon Dill Fiddleheads
Ingredients
- 1 lb. fresh fiddleheads, trimmed and washed well
- 1 large lemon, zested and juiced, divided
- Ice water
- 1 1/2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 teaspoon dried dill weed, or 2 teaspoons fresh dill, roughly chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil with 2 teaspoons lemon juice over medium-high heat.
- Add fiddleheads to the pot, and bring back to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium, and boil for 15 minutes.
- Drain fiddleheads in a colander, and plunge into the ice water.
- When cooled completely, melt butter, remaining lemon juice, zest, and dill in a medium frying pan.
- When butter has melted, add fiddleheads and toss to coat.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
- Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.