Stir-fried Fiddlehead Ferns

• 1 pound fiddlehead ferns (about 4 cups)
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons worth of garlic cloves
• 4 to 10 small, fresh Thai chilies, depending on your tolerance for heat
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (see note)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce (Tiparos or Squid brands are good and common)
• 4 tablespoons oyster sauce, preferably a Thai brand like Maekhrua (see note)
• 1 tablespoon superfine sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon MSG (see note)
• Freshly ground white pepper to finish
• 1/2 cup pork stock.

1. Clean the fiddleheads by soaking them in cold water and shaking them dry in a colander.
2. Trim the stem of each within an inch or two of the curled top.
3. Slip off any slimy brown skin.
4. Pick over for sticks, dirt and bugs.
5. (Hey, theyre wild!)
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
7. Smash the garlic and chilies into a rough, lumpy paste in a mortar and pestle.
8. Blanch the ferns for a minute or two.
9. Meanwhile, heat the oils in a wok or wok-style pan over medium heat.
10. Add garlic and chilies and cook until fragrant but not brown.
11. Take the ferns out of the blanching water, shake them dry in a colander for a few seconds (a little water is not a problem) and toss into the wok.
12. Crank the heat all the way up.
13. Stir-fry for a minute, add the fish sauce, stir-fry again for a few seconds, then add the oyster sauce, sugar, MSG and white pepper.
14. Stir-fry for a few more seconds, then add the stock and cook until sauce is thicker than water but nowhere near a glaze.
15. Serve on a large platter or in a shallow bowl.
16. Eat hot.

salt, worth of garlic, chilies, neutral oil, cooking oil, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, freshly ground white pepper, pork stock

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015354 (may not work)