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Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart

[heart_this] · Jun 7, 2011 · 44 Comments

Fiddlehead Tart

A fiddlehead and leek tart covered in melted gruyere on a light and flaky, golden brown phyllo crust.

Another ingredient that is available during spring is the fiddlehead fern and the last few years I have been enjoying experimenting with them. Fiddlehead ferns are young ferns that are picked before the frond has opened. They are commonly used as a vegetable and their flavour can be compared to that of asparagus. This year I knew exactly what I wanted to do with the fiddleheads, a savoury fiddlehead tart! For the base of the tart I used sheets of phyllo dough and I topped them with some sauted leeks with a bit of garlic and then I covered everything with a layer of gruyere cheese followed by the fiddlehead ferns themselves. I like using phyllo pastry for tarts like this as it bakes up nice and light and flakey and golden brown which is perfect for a light spring meal.

Fiddlehead Tart

Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart

Fiddlehead and Gruyere Tart

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes Servings: 4

A fiddlehead and leek tart covered in melted gruyere on a light and flaky, golden brown phyllo crust.

ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and sliced thinly
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 lemon, juice
  • 3 sheets phyllo dough, thawed as directed on package and cut in half lengthwise
  • * olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 cup gruyere, grated
  • 1/2 pound fiddleheads, well cleaned and blanched for 3 minutes
directions
  1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.
  2. Add the leek and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
  3. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.
  4. Remove from heat, mix in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Place a sheet of the phyllo dough on a greased baking sheet and brush it with oil. Repeat with the remaining sheets each on top of the last.
  6. Sprinkle the leeks over the phyllo followed by the cheese and finally the fiddleheads.
  7. Bake in a preheated 375F/190C oven until the phyllo dough is golden brown, about 20-30 minutes.
Similar Recipes:
Asparagus and Gruyere Tart
Zucchini and Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Parmesan Tart
Ham and Leek Tart
Fiddlehead Carbonara
Fiddlehead Shrimp Scampi
Wild Leek and Double Smoked Bacon Tart

Use leftover phyllo dough in:
Spanakopita (Greek Spinach Pie)
Mushroom and Feta Phyllo Pie
Kolokithopita (Greek Zucchini Pie)
Agginaropita (Greek Artichoke Pie)
Mushroom and Goat Cheese Strudel with Balsamic Syrup
Tomato Tart
Baklava
Apple and Cheddar Quiche
Galaktoboureko (Greek Custard Pie)
Chicken and Date Pastilla
Asparagus and Walnut Phyllo Pie (aka Asparagus Baklava) with Avgolemono Sauce
Roasted Pumpkin Quiche with Caramelized Onions, Gorgonzola and Sage
Strawberry Goat Cheese Banitsa
Lamb Exohiko (Lamb, Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Phyllo Parcels)

6 Ingredients, Appetizer, Food, Main Course, Recipe, Tart, Vegetarian

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jen H says

    June 7, 2011 at 11:50 pm

    I love fiddleheads and pairing them with nutty gruyere and a buttery shell sounds heavenly to me!

    Reply
  2. Shannon says

    June 7, 2011 at 11:56 pm

    I LOVE this. Not only does it look and sound delicious but it is so well executed it looks like a piece of art!

    Reply
  3. jillian says

    June 8, 2011 at 12:15 am

    I have actually never made fiddleheads. This tart looks like the perfect use to show off their shape.

    Reply
  4. Leah says

    June 8, 2011 at 1:16 am

    I've never heard of fiddlehead ferns before. But this tart looks fantastic! I think ill try it with spinach!

    Reply
  5. anniebakes says

    June 8, 2011 at 1:32 am

    THAT looks fabulous! love fiddle heads! anne

    Reply
  6. giz says

    June 8, 2011 at 1:54 am

    Now that just looks like art, not to mention really interesting. You've inspired me – I'm seeing fiddleheads everywhere these days.

    Reply
  7. Missie says

    June 8, 2011 at 2:00 am

    This is beautiful!

    Reply
  8. --JamJam says

    June 8, 2011 at 2:58 am

    What a whimsical vegetable. I've never had fiddleheads and have never even seen them before this recipe. Strange! I wonder where I can find them here in California..

    Reply
  9. Katelyn Likes This says

    June 8, 2011 at 4:12 am

    It looks like a fiddlehead pizza! So cute

    Reply
  10. Lemons and Anchovies says

    June 8, 2011 at 5:55 am

    This is beautiful! I've never seen fiddleheads used this way–love it. The tart looks perfect and of course, one can never go wrong with gruyere. Love!

    Reply
  11. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    June 8, 2011 at 5:55 am

    So pretty! I'd love to taste fiddleheads.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  12. chriesi says

    June 8, 2011 at 8:15 am

    Love it! I always miss the right moment to pick some fiddleheads.

    Reply
  13. Food Glorious Food! says

    June 8, 2011 at 9:19 am

    I love the unique taste of fiddlehead. Great for Asian stir frying as well. yummy!

    Reply
  14. Joanne says

    June 8, 2011 at 9:23 am

    I didn't do ANYTHING with fiddleheads this year and I'm kind of regretting it after seeing this tart!

    Reply
  15. Lora says

    June 8, 2011 at 10:39 am

    Absolutely gorgeous mouthwatering tart!

    Reply
  16. Da & Mer says

    June 8, 2011 at 12:09 pm

    Ideal! se ve deliciosa!
    Saludos Da & Mer

    Reply
  17. Isabelle @ Crumb says

    June 8, 2011 at 1:27 pm

    This tart sounds like it would be a fabulous appetizer for a party!
    Fiddleheads are one of my favourite spring ingredients, and I bet they go a treat with Gruyere (plus, you can never go wrong with puff pastry. Never.)

    Reply
  18. Kate says

    June 8, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Beautiful! I tasted fiddleheads for the first time a few years ago. They were delicious. I love this idea..looks so good.

    Reply
  19. d.liff @ yelleBELLYboo says

    June 8, 2011 at 4:06 pm

    So beautiful! Growing up in New England I loved fiddlehead fern season – it was so exciting to get to use a new ingredient that I could only get during a small window of time. Since I moved down to DC I haven't seen them! Hopefully they'll still be in season when I make it home to visit my folks in a couple weeks.

    Reply
  20. Kristy Lynn says

    June 8, 2011 at 4:55 pm

    I saw fiddleheads the other day at the market and was like what the ef is that??? They looked like funny little wormy bugs. I was afraid to touch them. haha…

    Thanks for the recipe – I'll see what I can do!

    Reply
  21. Anonymous says

    June 8, 2011 at 5:03 pm

    LOVE this! So tasty looking.

    Reply
  22. Jeanne @ CookSister! says

    June 8, 2011 at 5:57 pm

    Oh Kevin, I am in love with that frst pic! More like a piece of abstract art than an edible dish – thimk Miro does dinner 😉 I've nevr tried fiddleheads myself but woud love to some day as I love asparagus…

    Reply
  23. Recipe contests says

    June 8, 2011 at 6:02 pm

    Never had fiddleheads before (that I knew of anyway), but I love Gruyere cheese. Not only does this recipe sound good, but look how you coiled those greens. So cute! May have to try this tart out sometime this week. Thanks for sharing!

    Take care,
    –Chelsey

    Reply
  24. [email protected] says

    June 8, 2011 at 6:07 pm

    I too have never heard of fiddleheads- the old adage of learning something new each day is so true- but I live the name and the tart looks AMAZINGGG! Really enjoying reading the blog, thank you!

    Reply
  25. Jennifurla says

    June 8, 2011 at 7:29 pm

    Never even heard of this fern before, how neat.

    Reply
  26. Steve Finnell says

    June 8, 2011 at 9:22 pm

    you are invited to follow my blog

    Reply
  27. cajunlicious says

    June 8, 2011 at 9:25 pm

    This is almost too pretty to eat.

    Reply
  28. Anniegi says

    June 9, 2011 at 2:36 am

    Oh Kevin….. Wow! this looks like something I could eat the whole tart in ONE sitting! I love how you take the most minimal & simplest ingredients & create culinary magic. thank you, thank you.

    Reply
  29. Honey says

    June 9, 2011 at 4:46 am

    wow, i've never seen this before.. looks so interesting. nice job! gorgeous pictures. 🙂

    Reply
  30. cautionhotdish says

    June 9, 2011 at 1:57 pm

    Mmmm… looks amazing! I love fiddleheads and so need to try this!!!

    Reply
  31. Charlie says

    June 9, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    Hi Kevin!

    Now this I will definitely make!

    I love fiddleheads and am always looking for new recipes.

    Reply
  32. CharlesR says

    June 9, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    Leah: Don't shy away from fiddleheads because you have never tried them.

    Give them a try! You won't regret it.

    And as Jen says, the nutty flavour of fiddleheads and the nutty gruyere is a perfect pairing.

    Reply
  33. Jenn says

    June 9, 2011 at 4:47 pm

    OMG! I love fiddleheads. Do you have any suggestions on where to find them? I haven't had them since my grandmother used to can them when I was little in Northern Ontario.

    Reply
  34. pj says

    June 9, 2011 at 7:33 pm

    remember to cook fiddleheads really well – no one wants to get fiddlehead fern poisoning. blech.

    Reply
  35. Kevin says

    June 9, 2011 at 8:07 pm

    Jenn: Your best bet to find them will probably be at a local farmers market. I know that several companies also freeze them so you might be able to find them in the frozen food section at a grocery store. (I have never seen them frozen…)

    Reply
  36. Kevin says

    June 9, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    Pj: Yes fiddleheads need to be well cleaned and well cooked but you also don't want to cook them until they are mushy.

    Reply
  37. homegrown countrygirl says

    June 9, 2011 at 10:51 pm

    Your photos and recipes are always awesome but this one is simply beautiful… you've really outdone yourself! What a treat!

    Reply
  38. BWak says

    June 12, 2011 at 8:08 am

    I've never seen fiddleheads before. Sounds like an amazing creation… I'm off to farmers market then!

    Reply
  39. Salome says

    June 12, 2011 at 8:30 am

    I love your post and I has included it in my sunday post, you can see it at
    http://blocderecetas.blogspot.com/2011/06/mis-favoritas-semana-23-2011.html
    I hope you to like it!

    Reply
  40. Krasja says

    June 12, 2011 at 1:49 pm

    This is just great!

    Reply
  41. emiglia says

    June 13, 2011 at 12:28 am

    This is a very pretty tart! I still haven't tried fiddleheads, but I love the way they look.

    Reply
  42. bellini says

    June 16, 2011 at 11:11 am

    Their perfectly scrolled shape looks amazing on a flatbread!

    Reply
  43. Twin Tables says

    June 22, 2011 at 11:58 pm

    These pictures are awesome. I don't know why but fiddleheads make me smile!

    Reply
  44. Colorful Canary says

    May 6, 2015 at 9:43 pm

    Great recipe! I featured on my blog 🙂 http://www.colorfulcanary.com/2015/05/14-fabulous-fiddlehead-recipes-eat-wild.html

    Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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