Steamed Fiddlehead Ferns

Written by
Molly Watson
An award-winning food writer and cookbook author, Molly Watson has created more than 1,000 recipes focused on local, seasonal ingredients.
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Molly Watson
Updated 06/27/19
Fiddlehead Ferns
MmeEmil / Getty Images
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
186 Calories
0g Fat
35g Carbs
10g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 186
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 80mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 35g 13%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Protein 10g
Calcium 12mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Lightly steaming fiddlehead ferns lets them keep just a bit of crispness while also bringing out their fresh, grassy flavor.

A serving of lightly cooked fiddleheads is fine for most people, but too many of them can cause some digestive trouble for those with sensitive stomachs and some authorities recommend only eating fully cooked fiddleheads.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Trim and rinse fiddleheads, removing any brown ends or mushy parts.

  3. In a large pot, bring 1-inch water to a boil. Put fiddleheads in a steamer basket or insert and place above boiling water. Cover and cook until fiddleheads are tender but still faintly crisp, about 5 minutes.

  4. Drain and serve hot with butter, salt, and pepper to taste.

  5. Enjoy!

Tip

  • This is a time to use high-quality, fresh butter since it has its own clean, spring flavor to compliment the steamed fiddleheads.