Planked Shad
Ingredients
Directions
Plank method
Prepare a hardwood board one and a half or two inches thick.
Split the shad as for broiling.
Place the shad on the board with the skin side down.
Fasten the shad with a few tacks.
Place the board before the fire.
Roast the shad until done.
Rub the shad from time to time with a little butter.
Ensure the plank is well-seasoned and heated before placing the shad on it.
Pan method
Put a tablespoonful of drippings into a baking pan.
When very hot, lay the shad with the skin side up in the pan.
Place the pan under the coals.
Cook until the skin is puffed and blistered.
Finish and serve
Turn the shad onto a hot dish.
Dredge the shad with salt and pepper.
Cover the shad with bits of butter.
Serve the shad with quarters of lemon.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Shad (in the method)
- Provides the main body of the dish, cooking gently and staying moist when split and roasted.
- Drippings
- Fat that heats the pan, helping the skin brown and blister and adding savory flavor.
The step that matters
Heat the plank or pan before adding the shad. A well-seasoned, very hot surface sears the skin quickly so the fish releases from it, and the skin puffs and blisters instead of sticking and scorching.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
You might also like
Tomato Soup526 recipes
Brown Bread461 recipes
Mutton Broth292 recipes
Yorkshire Pudding264 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.