Shad, American

Common Name:

Atlantic shad, Potomac shad, northern silver shad

Product Information:

The raw flesh of American shad appears grayish. Cooked, it varies in color from pinkish beige to deep brown, with the darker flesh the most richly fla­vored. The large roe sacs are bright orange.Shad meat is sweet, rich and tender, with high oil content. Fans refer to the flavor as “poor man’s salmon.”

Cooking Tips:

The bony shad was described by one Native American tribe as “a porcupine turned inside out,” which can make whole shad a challenge to eat. However, slow cooking (steaming or baking at low temperatures) dissolves the small bones. Fillets, broiled or baked, are a more popular choice. For an update on traditional “planked shad,” boned fillets are nailed to an oak or hickory board, along with bacon slices, and slow cooked before a charcoal fire. Shad roe can be sautéed in butter or braised in white wine.

Cooking Methods: