The fern is considered one of the most ancient plants. It has about 20000 varieties of its kind. But not all of them are considered edible. For example, such a species as common bracken is the most popular variety. Which is mainly used in food. It is about him that we will talk today.
It is preferable to harvest such a plant in autumn or early spring. The main thing is not to miss the moment of fern collection. The flowering of bird cherry, lilac and lily of the valley signals this perfectly. You should choose young bracken plants, which are not yet fully developed fronds. The height of such a shoot should not exceed 25-30 cm. Pay attention to the diameter it should be higher than 5 mm.
You know, if you cook a fern following all the recommendations, the taste will be typical of mushrooms. For example, in Japan, this herb was considered a delicacy. From which “warabi-mochi” was prepared, this is a pastry that is a pie with filling.
See how much you can cook from ordinary-looking plants. Recently we discussed with you amazing recipes from sorrel and nettle, today we have studied fern in detail. So many healthy vitamins can be obtained simply by eating these foods.
Cooking roasted fern from fresh
Let’s take a look at the simplest cooking recipe for a start. Preparing it quite easily is a great option for beginners. As a result, you will get a delicious appetizer to the table, which goes well with any side dish.
We will need:
- bracken fern – 400 gr.
- tomato paste – 2 tablespoons
- Garlic – 4 cloves
- onions – 1-2 pcs.
- vegetable oil – for frying
- salt – to taste
Preparation:
1. Get ready for the fern very quickly. The main thing is to take care of its processing in advance.
Bracken fern has a specific bitter taste, so it is necessary to get rid of this defect in advance. It is very easy to do this, fill this herb with water and fill it with salt. We leave to soak for a day.
We wash the soaked plant under running water. Put in a saucepan or frying pan and fill it with water to the very top. Put on pita and bring to a boil. Then we reduce the gas to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Then we discard the boiled mass in a colander. We leave on the table until it is completely cooled. We will not carry out any manipulations with the fern yet.
2. Onions are one of the equally important ingredients in this dish. We peel it from the husk, rinse and chop finely. You can use a half-ring shape as a cut, this is not so important.
Pour a small amount of vegetable oil into a deep enough frying pan. Which, by the way, can be replaced with olive, will be much better. And fry our chopped onions until golden brown. Do not forget to stir and reduce the gas to the minimum so that the vegetable has time to cook.
At this time, you can start cutting ferns. Do not grind too much, otherwise we will get porridge as a result. Cut approximately one stem into three pieces.
Then we add it to the fried onions. We mix everything and continue the frying process. But already two ingredients.
3. Since the composition of such a bracken fern dish includes tomato paste. Then we will carry out small manipulations with her. Pour literally a drop of vegetable oil into another smaller pan. Add tomato paste and fry it for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, this product tends to burn.
Then add the finished tomato paste to the fern, salt thoroughly, season with salt if necessary.
Garlic can be added for added piquancy. To do this, peel it and cut it into thin slices. Can be passed through the press.
The finished dish can be served hot. Still, it is preferable to use the fried fern slightly cooled down. This appetizer option is an excellent addition to unleavened side dishes, especially potatoes. By the way, do not forget to sprinkle bracken with fresh herbs before serving.
How to cook salted fern
Hello dear visitors to my culinary blog! Fern is one of the most typical products for the Far East. As a rule, in stores it is sold in salted form. So I decided to share with you my experience – how to cook salted fern. I warn you right away – this is a “three-stage” dish, so be patient. Although, I can vouch that this dish appeared here for a reason: firstly, it is lean, and secondly, after all, in spite of everything – this is a rather simple recipe!
