FIDDLEHEAD FERNS AND BROOK TROUT - A SPRINGTIME FAVORITE
"Haven't seen any yet." Said a neighbor who is my watchdog when it comes to finding fiddlehead ferns. "Looks like it will be another week or so." That means I have a week or so to fill the freezer with brook trout if I want to enjoy my all-time favorite spring meal, native brook trout and fiddlehead ferns. My recent wild turkey hunting trips have kept me in the hardwoods instead of the dry creek beds and flooded areas where fiddlehead ferns thrive. Popping up from the forest floor for only a few days each spring, fiddlehead ferns are considered a delicacy by most lovers of outdoor fare. Gourmet chefs around the world marvel at the simplicity of preparing these greens to accompany many of the most elegant dishes in their books. Recognizing a fiddlehead fern takes only a quick glance. Most of the ferns popping though the leaf coverings right now are not edible. They are comprised of a number of varieties of fern but only the Ostrich Fern is considered to be edible. Fiddleheads can be recognized by their deep green, shiny coloration and the deep groove along the inside edge of the fern stem. The others are usually covered in fuzz and have round stems. These are not edible. Most fern lovers agree that fiddleheads should be picked when the recognized shape of a fiddle head can be seen. Cut or break the fern head off just below the tightly wrapped curls. The stem itself is edible but is a bit tough or stringy. For a meal of fiddleheads and brook trout for a couple of families (4-6 people) I use at least two pounds of fiddleheads and two 8-10 inch brook trout per person. My friends at IF&W report the brook trout portion of this meal shouldn't be too difficult to acquire right now as most southern Maine streams and ponds were recently stocked. Once you have found enough ferns, begin by washing them in a bucket of cold water. Just dump the fern heads into cold water and most of the debris will float to the top or sink to the bottom. Pick any of the thin brown leaf covering from the fiddleheads. In a large saucepan, heat up a couple of cans of low-salt chicken broth. Bring it to a boil and dump in the cleaned fiddleheads. Bring the broth back to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Then, it is very important to have a large bowl of ice water ready. I use a 4-quart bowl and fill it halfway with water and crush a dozen ice cubes into it. Drop the cooked fiddleheads into the ice water, let stand for a minute or so, then bag up the ferns for cooking later. Don't blanch the ferns any sooner than five hours before you intend to cook them. At mealtime, use a large saucepan to sauté the fiddleheads. Begin with a couple tablespoons (I just splash in some oils) of extra-virgin olive oil or half a stick of real butter. I prefer the olive oil because utter tends to smoke and burn. Smash three or four cloves of garlic or sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of garlic salt into the sauecepan and oil, bring to a medium heat and toss in the fiddleheads. When the fiddleheads begin to sizzle, shake the pan and turn the ferns or use a spatula or form to brown both sides. Usually you will smell the garlic and know the ferns are ready to eat. Just like venison in the fall, it is best to serve fiddleheads very hot. Prepare all the other elements of the meal except the brook trout, before you begin to sauté the ferns. Brook trout take about the same amount of time to cook as the ferns so they can be cooked at the same time, in different pans. Of course I am never going to advise cooking brook trout in anything other than a large cast-iron fry pan. Besides tradition and bringing back fond memories of shore-cooked meals, the cast iron pan cause s the trout to be coated with a delicate crust that holds flavor longer than when done in conventional pans. Clean and pat dry the brook trout and let set in a bowl of whole milk a couple of large eggs, salt and pepper and other spices you might use for preparing fried chicken or fish. Warm the fry pan to medium and add olive oil bacon fat or butter, and, of course a pinch or two more garlic. Roll the trout in cornmeal or cracker crumbs or a mixture of flour corn meal and cracker or bread crumbs and shake off the excess. They them side by each in the pan and cook until one side is golden brown, then turn over and cook the other side. Serve them at the same time as the ferns and do not allow seconds to get cool. Keep extra ferns and trout in a warm oven (covered to retain moisture). Biscuits or sourdough bread goes well with this meal as does a white wine or merlot for those old enough. Fresh lemon adds to the trout and you may even want to pan-fry some small red potatoes rolled in a variety of spices.
