Aleppo Fiddlehead Ferns & Ramp Pesto Recipe

Old Man River’s

Aleppo Fiddlehead Ferns & Ramp Pesto

Unexpected Ingredients

Unexpected Ingredients: Fiddlehead ferns

Photography by Rich Smith

Aleppo Fiddlehead Ferns & Ramp Pesto

Sometimes, it takes an ingredient you never saw coming to make a dish truly unforgettable. An unexpected ingredient, whether a hint of sweetness or a savory surprise, can take a plate from familiar to anything but ordinary. Here, a local restaurant proves that a little creativity can go a long way.

Chef Andrew Millsap

“Fiddlehead ferns are one of the first signs of spring for me. They’re picked before they unfurl, and it’s a short season, only lasting a couple of weeks. It’s really a special treat that nature provide us with, and they are foraged. I have paired them with ramps, which are a wild onion that’s also foraged and has a short season as well. I wanted to pair these items together not only because they complement each other but to also highlight the items that grow around us and how accessible they are. I also wanted to highlight an easy recipe to prepare.”

Chef Andrew Millsap

Old Man Rivers’ Aleppo Fiddlehead Ferns & Ramp Pesto

Andrew Millsap

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Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 1 Serving

Ingredients

For the fiddlehead ferns:

2 lbs. fiddlehead ferns
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter divided
4 cloves garlic minced
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. Aleppo pepper can sub crushed red pepper

For the ramp pesto:

6 ramps stems removed and washed (save bulbs for pickling)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lemon zested
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. salt

For the pickled ramps:

⅛ cup rice wine vinegar
⅛ cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 star anise
6 ramp bulbs cleaned

Instructions

For the fiddleheads:

Wash them under water, peel off any brown papery skin, and slice off any brown ends.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the fiddleheads, swishing them around with your hands to remove any dirt. Discard the water and repeat this process another time.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the fiddleheads and cook them for 10-15 minutes until tender.
After blanching, transfer the fiddleheads to a bowl of ice water to completely stop the cooking process and preserve their texture. Drain and dry before the next step.
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and the fiddleheads, and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the other tablespoon of butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and pepper. Cook for another few minutes, and serve warm.

For the pesto:

Put all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

For the pickled ramps:

Heat rice wine vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and star anise together in sauce pot until boiling. Place ramps in large bowl, pour liquid over ramps, and let sit for 30 minutes.

To plate the dish:

Spoon ramp pesto on plate, spread thin with back of spoon. Place sautéed fiddlehead ferns on top of ramp pesto. Garnish with pickled ramps.

Keyword pesto, ramps, vegetables