Indoor Shad Bake Recipes

BAKED STUFFED SHAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wipe shad fillets with damp paper towel. Season both fillets with salt and pepper and wine. Lay one fillet on a large piece of foil and spoon stuffing onto fillet. Top with second shad fillet, dot with butter and wrap up in foil. Place whole package onto a baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes until fish flakes easily. Serve immediately.

INDOOR SHAD BAKE

Steps:

• You can use a plank of hardwood at least an inch thick, or a broiling pan large enough to accommodate both fillets. If you use a plank, put a pan or foil tray larger than the plank on the oven rack below it to catch the drippings.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. If you use a plank, spread it with vegetable oil and heat it in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Season the fillets with salt and pepper and arrange them, skin side down, in the broiling pan or on the hot plank. Lay the slices of bacon diagonally across the fish.
• Bake 15 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350 degrees and bake 10 minutes or so more, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Discard the bacon and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

SAUTEED SHAD FILLET WITH LEMON

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt, and pepper and dredge fish in seasoned flour. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat oil until hot. Add fish to pan and cook until well browned on both sides. Remove fish and blot on paper. Return saute pan to heat. Add butter, let melt, and cook until brown. Add lemon juice, allow to sizzle, and add chopped parsley. Plate fish and drizzle lemon butter over top. Serve with asparagus.;

SHAD ROE

Steps:

• Melt butter in a skillet. While foaming is subsiding, lightly dredge roe in flour and shake off excess. Add roe and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Turn over, and brown on the other side. Remove the roe to a plate. If necessary add more butter to the skillet. Add ginger and saute for a moment. Add lemon juice and remove from heat; season with salt and pepper, add parsley or chives and spoon over shad. Serve with lemon or lime wedges.

OUTDOOR PLANKED SHAD BAKE

Steps:

• Prepare a small bonfire with scraps of any softwood like pine. Ready a plank of hardwood, preferably oak, that is at least an inch thick and about 2 feet long by 2 1/2 feet wide.
• Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Arrange them, skin side down, on the plank. Lay two strips of bacon or salt pork across each fillet. Using large-headed nails, nail through the bacon into the fillets so that they are fastened securely to the plank.
• Prop the plank upright about 6 inches from the fire, with the fillets vertical. Bake 15 minutes; turn the plank so the end previously on the ground is now on top. Bake 15 minutes or so more, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove the nails and bacon, and serve fish immediately with lemon wedges.