In June the anadromous fish known as shad migrate up the East Coast rivers. I have always heard that shad is delicious-but it is full of small bones.
It seems that you can cook shad in a sauce with lemon juice, such that the juice dissolves the bones-anyone here ever do this?
You can also fillet shad in a way that gets rid of the bones-but my fish market manager doesn’t know how to do this.
Is shad all that good a fish?
How about the roe?
First dig a trench in the ground. About 3 feet deep and 30 feet long. Start burning a large quantity of charcoal or wood in the trench along it’s entire length. While the fire is heating up tie 50 to 60 shad fillets to cedar planks that have a 2 foot wood or metal post attached. When the fire is nearly reduced to glowing coals, stick the planks in the ground with the stake, about 6 inches from the edge of the trench, leaning forward about 30 degrees so the planked fish is more directly facing the fire. Depending on the size of the fire, cooking time will vary from 15 to 30 minutes.
Emphasis added for the petitio principii. If the OP knew how to get shad fillets, instead of a whole shadfull of tiny bones, I think they wouldn’t have started this thread.
Yes, shad roe is generally considered more of a delicacy than shad itself, AFAICT.
Hmm, I forgot to mention that was the only way I know how to cook shad. I think shad is one of those fish that will always be bony without a lot of work.
I grew up in Haddam, CT, the home of Connecticut’s only remaining “Shad Shack”. http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/lodging-dining/best-seafood-restaurants-connecticut-00414000070545/ (fourth entry down). “Planking” is the only way I know of to cook shad, too, and boning shad is considered an art form, aka A Pain in the Ass. However, good shad and shad roe are wonderful things. My recommendation? Go visit Spencer’s.