But these green things are no shell-covered gastropod to be scooped from the sea. Rather, they are edible wild plants — known as fiddleheads or by their full name fiddlehead ferns, the unfurled fronds of ostrich ferns.
"You can find them in forests or shady, moist soil areas" near rivers, state Park Director Pam Adams says. "We have a lot of them on our land, but because they sometimes are close to other sensitive wildlife habitats, we don't encourage people to go tramping through these areas to get them. We also don't want people to make a mistake and pick the wrong plant."
The fiddlehead harvesting season is a short one — four to six weeks or so — because the tiny coiled plants are only edible before their fronds unfurl.
Thanks to specialty gourmet markets and area supermarkets that strive to offer the unusual to satisfy sophisticated taste buds, fiddleheads are cropping up — and flying out of — markets near you.
At Balducci's in Westport, produce manager Enio Esquivel orders them every season. "Do people know what they are? Area chefs are always looking for them. And people with gourmet tastes who enjoy cooking pick them up, too."
In little more than two weeks time, Balducci's has moved about 33 pounds of fiddleheads — and expects to sell more as the season continues. At Balducci's, fiddleheads cost about
Joze Roth, an interior decorator from the Rowayton section of Norwalk, eyed the fiddleheads arranged next to some behemoth artichokes and marveled at what she might do with them.
"It's a little vegetable, isn't it? And I have no idea how to use it," Roth says, adding that she was shopping for ingredients for a mystery birthday dinner for her husband.
"For his birthday, I got him a cooking class in our house with chef. I don't know what we'll be making exactly," Roth says. "All I have is the list of ingredients, spices and things to buy."
In their household, Roth says, it's her husband who does much of the serious cooking in the kitchen.
"Me, I cook very plain," she says, "but if my husband can figure out a way to prepare these, I'd give them a try."
Dimitri CruZoni, Balducci's executive chef, first became acquainted with fiddleheads while working at a New York City restaurant.
"The first time I ever worked with them was with a lamb dish. They made an excellent complement to it," CruZoni says. "To me, whenever I think of fiddleheads, I think of spring. They remind of the start of the season — and I love the taste."
In the kitchen at Balducci's, CruZoni shows off some of his culinary expertise by preparing some fiddleheads over Parma prosciutto.
First, he rinses the tiny vegetables to remove any grit from the fronds. Then he boils them for a couple of minutes before tossing them into a pitcher of ice water, which preserves their rich green color. Into a massive saut pan goes some rich French extra cream butter, some Vidalia onions that CruZoni lets caramelize, then the fiddleheads, some coarse kosher salt, more French butter and then he finishes it by drizzling a 12-year-old balsamic vinegar over it. The aroma is intoxicating, earthy, nutty, buttery and rich.
CruZoni shakes the pan and allows its contents to fly into the air. "First you brown the French butter," CruZoni explains. Why French butter? "The higher the butter fat content ergo more flavor."
The fiddleheads cook fast. And minutes later, CruZoni is arranging them on top of some Parma prosciutto on a long oval platter.
"This makes an excellent spring side dish with any meat, but especially prosciutto or lamb."
Depending on whom you ask, fiddleheads' flavor is comparable to a wild asparagus or a woodsy spinach.
"When I was a kid, we always ate them," says Milan Bull, senior director of science and conservation at the Audubon Society in Fairfield. "My parents used to get them from their friends all the time and we'd eat them sauted in butter or just boiled."
The nearest fiddlehead growing area Bull is acquainted with is in Litchfield County near the Housatonic River.
"People who collect
In addition to Balducci's, 1385 Post Road East, Westport, fiddlehead ferns can also be purchased at most Stop & Shop supermarkets, including the Stop & Shop on Bridgeport Avenue in Shelton. Stew Leonard's in Norwalk expects shipments in June. Call ahead at 847-7214.
FIDDLEHEAD FERNS
2 pounds of fiddlehead ferns, trimmed and washed well
1/2 pound of Vidalia onions, peeled and julienned
6 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of canola oil
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of fresh black pepper
12 slices of prosciutto di Parma
To clean the fiddleheads: Trim the stems, wash well in a bowl of cold water, rubbing them slightly to remove any grit. Drain well.
To blanch the fiddleheads: Bring a 2 quart pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fiddleheads to the boiling water and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.
Drain in a colander or strainer and submerge the fiddleheads in ice water until completely cold. Drain well and dry with a kitchen towel.
To prepare the dish: In a large saut pan over medium heat, brown the butter. Stir in the canola oil. Add the onions, stirring to coat and cook them until they start to caramelize. Stir in the fiddleheads and cook for two to three minutes more until heated through. Add the balsamic vinegar and season with the salt and fresh pepper. Arrange two slices of the prosciutto on each plate. Divide the fiddlehead and onion mixture among the plates.
Note: You could skip the prosciutto and serve this dish alongside grilled or roast lamb or chicken. Serves six.
— From Dimitri CruZoni, executive chef at Balducci's of Westport
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