Sumatra Style Fiddleheads with Smoked Salmon

Many varieties of fern are eaten in Sumatra. They’re often cooked with dried shrimp or smoked fish.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fiddleheads
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1½ cup coconut milk
- ¼ lb smoked salmon, julienned
- Salt
Spice Paste
- 3 shallots
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 finger kra chai (lesser galangal)
- 1 Thai chili
- 2 tsp green pepper, ground
- 1 tsp lemon zest
Method
-
1
Clean, wash and blanch fiddleheads in a large volume of salted water for 5 minutes.
-
2
Rinse fiddleheads in running water. Drain and set aside.
-
3
Place spice paste ingredients in a food processor. Add a few spoonfuls of coconut milk if you prefer a smoother paste.
-
4
Heat oil in a large pot on medium and sauté in the spice paste until fragrant (3-4 minutes).
-
5
Add coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes.
-
6
Add the fiddleheads and the salmon. Simmer for 5 minutes.
-
7
Taste and salt if needed.