Recipe: Fiddleheads Wabanaki

• By
• Andrew George and Robert Gairns

Image by Pamela Bethel, with permission from Arsenal Pulp Press
Shake up your dinner routine with delicious fiddleheads Wabanaki

Fiddleheads Wabanaki is a traditional dish that is sure to wow your tastebuds

First Nations people have been harvesting wild fiddleheads for centuries. Try out this age-old recipe and impress your guests with fresh, in-season fiddleheads.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (250 g) fresh or frozen fiddleheads
• 1 slice bacon, cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) pieces
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) unsalted butter
• 1 large shallot, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• pinch each sea salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Wash fiddleheads thoroughly to remove dirt. In large pot of boiling, salted water, blanch fiddleheads for 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, refresh under cold water and drain well again. Set aside.
2. In large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp; remove bacon with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Chop into bits.
3. Pour off all but 2 tsp (10 ml) fat.
4. Increase heat to medium-high and melt butter in fat.
5. Sauté shallots and garlic until shallots are transparent and soft.
6. Add fiddleheads and sauté 5 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
8. Serve topped with bacon bits.

Serves 2.

Recipe and photo from A Feast For All Seasons: Traditional Native Peoples’ Cuisine. Published by Arsenal Pulp Press, ©2010.