Shad Roe Recipes

PAN-FRIED SHAD ROE WITH LEMON PARSLEY SAUCE

Steps:

• Carefully separate the lobes of the shad roe and season it with Maldon sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper on both sides. Set aside.
• Heat up a cast iron pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and a swirl of olive oil. Make sure that the bottom of the pan is evenly coated.
• Add the chopped garlic and move it around in the pan with a wooden spatula until it turns golden.
• Gently lay the shad roe into the pan and let it brown for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. It should feel firm, like a medium cooked steak. Set on a plate.
• Lower the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the pan with the chopped parsley until it has softened and mixed well with the garlic bits in the pan. Squeeze in the lemon juice to loosen it into a sauce. Add a little bit more butter or olive oil, if necessary. Taste and adjust the flavor.
• Spoon the sauce over the shad roe.

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.;

SHAD AND SHAD ROE WITH LEMON SHALLOT BUTTER SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the shad fillets in half crosswise. Season the fillets and roe with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in each of two nonstick skillets and add the fillets skin side down in one pan. In the other pan add the roe and cook both over medium heat for 3 minutes, shaking the pans. Then turn the fillets and roe and cook for 3 minutes more. (It is a good idea to cover the pan with the roe while cooking to prevent splattering.)
• Remove the fish with a slotted spatula to a warm serving plate or platter. Separate each pair of roe lengthwise. Place a half on top of each piece of shad.
• In one of the skillets, add the butter and shallots. Cook and stir until wilted.
• Add the lemon juice and the parsley. Cook briefly while stirring, and then pour the mixture over the fish and serve.

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.

GEORGIA SHAD AND SHAD ROE

Steps:

• Dip shad fillets in mixture of flour, salt and pepper.
• Heat clarified butter and olive oil in a skillet and over low heat slowly cook the shad roe, which has been pricked in a few places. Cook only until it is brown on the outside but pink inside, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside; keep warm.
• Raise heat and saute shad quickly. Remove and set aside. Keep warm.
• Add the chicken stock, wine and lemon to pan and cook quickly over high heat to reduce by half.
• Return roe to pan. Heat through.
• Arrange shad on heated platter with roe. Pour most of sauce from pan and a little over the shad.

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.

ERIC'S SAUTEED SHAD ROE WITH BACON-BUTTER SAUCE AND FRISEE

Steps:

• Make the sauce: Place bacon in a medium skillet, and cook over high heat until bacon is golden and just crisp. Remove 2 tablespoons bacon, and drain on a paper towel-lined plate; set aside. Continue cooking the remaining bacon until very crisp but not blackened. Transfer to a fine sieve; discard bacon fat. Transfer crisp bacon to the jar of a blender.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Add butter, piece by piece, whisking constantly until incorporated. Add the chicken-stock mixture to the blender, and blend on high speed until bacon is pureed. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a warm place until ready to serve.
• Cook the shad roe: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Using a sharp knife, trim shad roe, and divide into 2 pieces, being careful not to tear the membrane. Pour flour into a shallow bowl, and season with salt and pepper; dust pieces lightly with the flour.
• In a medium nonstick ovenproof saute pan, heat grapeseed oil over medium heat. Add shad roe, and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn, and transfer the saute pan to the oven until roe is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from saute pan, and set aside while preparing salad.
• Make the salad: In a large bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper. Whisk to combine. Slowly add olive oil, whisking constantly, until combined. Add frisee and the reserved bacon; toss to combine.
• To serve: Slice the shad roe crosswise on the bias into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Divide among four plates. Spoon the bacon sauce over, and serve immediately with the frisee salad on the side.

SHAD AND ROE WITH TOMATOES AND SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Place the fillets and the roe in a flat dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the milk, coating the fillets and the roe.
• Dredge the fish and the roe in the flour and remove the excess.
• Heat the corn oil in a nonstick skillet large enough to hold the fillets skin side up and the roe in one layer. Cook the fillets and the roe over medium-high heat until crisp and brown, about four minutes, basting occasionally. Turn and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer to a warm platter and keep warm. If the pan is not large enough, cook in two segments.
• Discard the cooking oil and wipe out the skillet. Add the olive oil and the butter. Add the zucchini and tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over high heat about 2 minutes, shaking and tossing the skillet so that the zucchini and tomatoes cook evenly. Add the shallots and garlic. Cook about a minute more, shaking the skillet. Pour this mixture over the fish, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

SHAD AND SHAD ROE WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Cut the fillets in half crosswise.
• Combine the milk, salt and pepper in a shallow dish and place the flour in another dish. Dip the fillets and the roe into the milk, then in the flour to coat both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the fish to the pan, skin side up, then the roe. If the pan is too small, cook as much as you can, set aside to keep warm and repeat. Saute the shad for about 2 minutes on one side or until golden brown. Carefully turn the shad and the roe. When they are golden brown cover the pan tightly and continue cooking until they are cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes depending on the size of the roe. Transfer the fillets and roe to a warm plate and keep warm.
• In the same skillet add the remaining oil and the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook over high heat, shaking the pan and stirring or tossing occasionally, until the mushrooms are golden brown.
• Add the garlic, shaking and tossing for 20 seconds. Do not brown the garlic. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Blend well and spoon the mixture over the fish. Serve Immediately.