Helecho
yuyu or fern sprouts are very popular and delicious part of Amazonic Kichwa
cuisine.
The
sprouts are new growths at the end of the fern leaves that thick and green,
without the actual leaves yet.
The
Kichwas pick these sprouts when they find them and prepare food with them.
They
are especially delicious cooked and served with traditional food but can be
eaten also alone.
I was
given a gift of few sprouts in a banana leaf as a form of gratitude from one
special education student’s grandmother.
She advised
me to cook them and serve them with maito, which is meat or fish cooked inside
a leaf.
Since I
wasn’t certain I could do a maito on my own, she told me to fry them with egg
and eat them that way.
I was
told that they especially delicious fried with some onion also.
The
idea got my mouth watering and at home I decided to try to do a fern sprout omelet.
Fern Sprout Omelet
1 handful
of fern sprouts
2 eggs
1 onion
Salt
Pepper
Oil or
butter
1. Chop
the fern sprouts into even pieces.
2. Chop
the onion into fine strings.
3. Mix
the eggs until they form foam.
4. Heat
a pan and add the oil or butter, I like to use rapeseed oil but it really
depends on your preference.
5. Fry
the fern sprouts together with onions until the onions are caramelized.
6. Mix
the egg foam with salt and pepper and whisk it on the pan together with fern
sprouts and onions.
7. Let
it cook on both sides.
Enjoy!
