Maliseet traditional wisdom holds that consuming fiddleheads helps cleanse the body of impurities and toxins. In addition to being high in fibre, fiddleheads are rich in iron, potassium, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and vitamins A and C. A great way to clean fiddleheads of their papery, brown scales is to shake them in small batches in a paper bag.
Clean fiddleheads well and cook in boiling, salted water for 5 to 7 minutes. Melt butter in medium pan and add lemon juice, salt, pepper, paprika and bread crumbs. Toss hot fiddleheads in pan for another 3 to 5 minutes to coat well. Serves 5 as a side dish.
Fresh fiddleheads 1 lb. 500 g Unsalted butter 1/3 cup 75 mL Lemon juice 3 tbsp. 45 mL Salt, to taste Pepper, to taste Paprika, to taste Fine dry bread crumbs 1/3 cup 75mL