Potomac Panfried Shad Roe Recipes

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.

SHAD ROE PAN FRIED WITH BACON

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, combine flour, salt and pepper. Dredge roe in seasoned flour. In a saute pan over medium heat, heat oil until hot. Add roe to pan and cook top side (side without vein) until well browned. Reduce heat, turn roe over, and continue to cook on second side until well browned and almost firm. Cover pan slightly to avoid dangerous splattering. Remove roe 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 roe and drizzle lemon butter over top. Serve smoked bacon on top of roe.;

FRIED SHAD ROE

Steps:

• Place shad roe in saucepan and cover with water to which salt and vinegar have been added.
• Simmer 20 minutes; drain and cover with cold water for five minutes.
• Drain again; sprinkle with salt and pepper, dip in flour and fry in hot deep fat (375F) until golden brown.

SHAD ROE WITH MUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat an 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for a minute or two, then add the butter. When it melts, gently lay the shad roe in the pan and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the underside is lightly browned.
• Turn very gently-a large spatula is best for this-and season the cooked side. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, again until the underside is lightly browned. By this time the roe should be quite firm to the touch; if it is still soft, cover the pan and cook for another minute or two, then cut into it to check. When done, the center will be red and the area surrounding it pink.
• Transfer the roe to a warm plate. Add the mustard and 1/4 cup of water to the pan; stir. Raise the heat to high and stir the sauce with a wooden spoon until smooth and thick. Spoon over the roe, garnish if you like, and serve immediately.
• Shad Roe with Capers and Vinegar: In step 3, omit the mustard. Instead, stir in 2 tablespoons capers, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir until blended and the liquid is reduced by about half. Spoon over the roe, garnish, and serve.
• Shad Roe with Bacon: Omit the butter. Begin by cooking 4 thick slices good-quality bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is done; remove the bacon and keep warm. Cook the shad roe in the bacon fat, exactly as directed. Serve the shad roe and bacon with lemon wedges, garnished with fresh parsley.

SHAD ROE POACHED IN BUTTER

Steps:

• Gently pull the sacs away from each other, and the membrane attaching them will come apart. Snip any pieces of membrane that do not break easily with kitchen scissors. Take care not to tear the sacs. Run them under cool water, and pat them dry.
• To know how much butter to poach the roe in, place the sacs in a straight-sided frying pan or saucepan just large enough to hold them in one layer. Add water to halfway up the sides of the sacs. Drain water off into a measuring cup. The level of water in the measuring cup is the level that the melted butter to cook the roe should reach. (In poaching pike or striped bass roe, the water should almost cover it. Both of those puff up in cooking, so they will need more butter.)
• Remove the roe from the pan, and wipe the pan dry. Place the melted butter in the pan over medium heat. When the butter is bubbling, carefully slip the roe into the pan in one layer. Return to a boil.
• Cook over medium heat for 1 minute to firm up the roe. Turn the heat to low (bubbles should be breaking the surface, but not vigorously). Cook for 2 minutes. Gently move each piece to assure that it does not stick. Continue to cook 4 minutes more (5 minutes more for the bass, 27 minutes more for the pike). Carefully flip each piece. Cook for 3 minutes, moving roe gently so that it does not stick. Continue to cook until the roe sacs have changed color and are opaque all the way through, 4 minutes for the shad, 5 minutes for the bass and 27 minutes for the pike. Move the pike occasionally to keep it from sticking.