Fiddlehead Fern & Lemon Risotto

Wandering through native wilderness searching for things to eat at this time of the year can be a bit sparse and disappointing and takes a much keener eye and experimental palate! I was relieved to stumble upon a small sign that spring will be coming soon enough in the form of the velvet and crown ferns producing their curled and furry fiddleheads in the centre of their vibrant green fronds.

I harvested sparingly, taking the bigger fiddleheads and ensuring I left enough new growth for the fern to thrive. Fiddleheads have a delicious spring greens taste and work as a wonderful alternative to asparagus so I thought what better way to show off this forest vegetable than to cook it with a classic lemon and pea risotto!

This is a creamy decadent risotto with lots of garlic, tangy lemon, and sautéed fiddlehead ferns, perfect for a cold wintery evening by the fire. Enjoy my fellow foragers!

Fiddlehead Fern & Lemon Risotto

Ingredients: Serves 4

Garlic Cream:

1 bulb of garlic, roasted

1/2 cup cashews, soaked overnight

1/2 cup water

Risotto:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely diced

4 garlic cloves

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup white wine

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

4 cups homemade vegetable stock

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 lemon, zest

3 lemons juiced

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped

Vegetables:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup fiddlehead ferns

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, boiled

1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Pinch of salt

1/2 lemon, zest

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees fan bake. Cut the top off the bulb of garlic and place in a square of tin foil. Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and wrap the tinfoil around around the bulb. Bake for 40 minutes. Blend together the roasted garlic, cashew nuts, and water until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
2. In a medium pot bring the 4 cups of vegetable stock to a simmer and keep hot while cooking the risotto.
3. In a large pot or pan over a medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the onion for 6 minutes before adding in the garlic and cooking for 1 minute more. Add the Arborio rice and toast for 5 minutes or until the rice turns translucent. Add salt and pepper.
4. Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring gently but continuously, until absorbed by the rice. Add vegetable stock 1 cup at a time and allow to absorb between each addition. Stir regularly. Add the water 1/2 cup at a time until absorbed and the rice is cooked through (this may take more or less water).
5. Stir in the nutritional yeast, lemon zest, lemon juice, and chopped parsley. Mix in the cashew cream and turn heat to low.
6. In a medium pan over a medium heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté fiddlehead ferns and cooked peas with the lemon zest, salt, and pepper for around 5 minutes until vibrant green and still crunchy.
7. Serve the creamy risotto topped with the lemony vegetables and topped with fresh parsley and more grated lemon zest. Enjoy!

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