Shad Roasted on a Board
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the board
Heat the oak board in front of the fire until very hot, almost charred.
Set up the fish
Season the shad with coarse sea salt.
Fasten the shad to the hot board with small nails, skin side down.
Place the board before the fire with the head part down.
Roast and serve
Once the juices begin to run, turn the board with the tail down.
Turn the shad frequently to retain the juices.
When done, butter the shad and serve it hot on the board.
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.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Shad
- Is the fish being roasted; its oils and flesh become moist and flavorful as it cooks over heat.
- Coarse sea salt
- Seasons the fish directly and draws out surface moisture, helping the flavor concentrate.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and a glossy finish to the hot roasted fish just before serving.
The step that matters
Turn the shad frequently. Frequent turning helps keep the juices in the flesh, since prolonged heat on one side can dry the fish out and drive juices away from the surface.
“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.
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