I first tried fiddlehead ferns at a restaurant in Bangkok in 2019, and I’ve been dreaming about them ever since. I thought they were only available in Thailand, so I was thrilled to discover that they’re also native to Maine – and we arrived just in time for the brief fiddlehead season!
I immediately grabbed these young shoots of an ostrich fern at the farmers market and decided to recreate a version of the dish that made me fall in love in the first place: Andy Ricker’s Phat Phak Kuut (Thai Stir-fried Fiddlehead Fern)!
To make it, you pound garlic and a bunch of Thai bird chilies (hope you like it hot) into a paste, then bloom it in oil. To this you add blanched fiddleheads along with fish and oyster sauce, sugar, MSG and a bit of pork stock (I used chicken stock as I couldn’t find pork stock).
It was a fiery way to enjoy these Spring treats, and I can’t wait to grab more at the market! Someone also mentioned they are delicious with just a bit of butter and garlic.
Rating: 5/5
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store-Bought Is Fine: oyster sauce
Pricey Ingredients: —
Hard-to-find: fiddlehead ferns
Recipe on NYTCooking.com
