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The Run Is On!
Edible Chesapeake Spring 2005
by John Shields
Root vegetables are the traditional staple
of Chesapeake kitchen winter cellars.
After several long frigid months, and one too many boiled potato or yam, I long for the first sign of a spring thaw in the air.
A literal sign is the one hung out by local fishmongers heralding the arrival of Chesapeake shad season. Another sure-fire indicator is the banner displayed outside local restaurants announcing, "the run is on!"
The American shad winters in deep offshore waters and then around late February to mid-march make their way to the brackish inlet waters of the Bay and other east coast rivers and tributaries. Shad is actually a member of the herring family with a range from the St. Lawrence River in Canada, all along the Atlantic coast down to Florida.
It seems shad posses an innate, on-board navigation system, which invariably returns the soon-to-spawn shad to the river from which they were originally hatched. This is no easy feat considering they have been traveling for roughly four to six years before their homecoming.
My grand mom, Gertie, would each spring make her pilgrimage downtown on the streetcar to Lexington Market to purchase a portion of shad and some pairs of the delectable roe.
Shad is one bony fish so Gertie always purchased shad fillets as opposed to the whole fish. You need a skilled fish market worker to get out all the tiny bones. Old time Chesapeake recipes called for baking the whole shad at a low temperature with lemon for many long hours after which the bones would miraculously disappear.
I'm not big on long-cooking fish, but luckily shad lends itself well to various cooking techniques: sautÚing, grilling, baking, or even poaching. The beige colored flesh is of a fairly firm texture and holds up well to a variety of sauces.
An old fashioned, time-honored Chesapeake method of cooking springtime shad is to roast it on hardwood planks. The wood imparts a smoky, outdoor flavor to the fish, yet allows the wonderful, unique shad flavor to shine through.
Our region's most highly prized springtime delicacy is without a doubt shad roe. For the novice it's a strange looking dish - two oval shaped, roe-packed sacs covered with a thin, delicate membrane - a bit alien-ish - but oh so delicious. SautÚed or broiled are my favorite ways to prepare this mild flavored "not-too-fishy" roe.
You'll want to cook it just enough, but not too much. The roe should be slightly pink in the center.
Bill Watkins former chef/owner of the old Forest Inn in Reisterstown, MD - a legendary bastion of outstanding Chesapeake fare - recalls that even before the shad began their yearly run customers would call to remind him that the season was fast approaching. As if he could forget. "We would put up a sign outside with "the run is on" and the folks would come to get as much as they could possibly eat during the short season."
Watkins offered the shad either as a simple fillet dinner, sautÚed in butter with lemon, or a combo platter of shad and roe. The sautÚed roe was accompanied by two pieces of cooked, lean bacon on top. "Some customers would get the combo, eat half of their roe, then take the rest home for breakfast the next morning. Shad roe is a very popular Chesapeake breakfast dish served with eggs."
Although the catch of shad is down tremendously from the historic levels of the early 1900's when it was the largest fishery in the Bay, management plans such as: a moratorium imposed by the State of Maryland in 1980, a fish ladder at the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River, efforts towards reductions in agricultural run off, and a fish hatchery have all been implemented to help restore shad population to a sustainable level in the near future.
The window of opportunity for shad dining is short, so I advise all lovers of shad to haul out their sautÚ pans for this our annual Chesapeake springtime ritual. I have included a relatively simple method/recipe for planked shad as well as a new fangled version of shad roe with baconáa la pancetta and raspberry vinegar - enjoy!
Planked Shad - Serves 4
4 untreated hardwood planks, soaked overnight in water (cedar is best)
4 fillets of shad, skin on (about 6 ounces each)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Melted butter or olive oil
8 sprigs fresh thyme
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Drain cedar planks. Lightly coat the shad with olive oil or butter and season with salt and pepper. Place the shad on the planks, tucking 2 sprigs underneath each fillet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the shad is just firm to the touch. Do not over cook.
Serve at once with lemon wedges.
Now, if you are looking for a fancy-schmansey presentation, prepare a small batch of creamy mashed potatoes. When the shad is almost finished baking in the oven, remove the planks and with a pastry bag, pipe the mashed potatoes around the edges of the planks. Return to the oven and slightly brown the potatoes. Serve straight away, again with lemon wedges.
Note: You can find hardwood-grilling planks (i.e. cedar) at gourmet specialty stores. You can also find hardwood pieces at home improvement stores and lumberyards, but you must be certain to use only new natural hardwood, not other wood pieces possibly treated with preservative chemicals.
Broiled Shad Roe with Pancetta - Serves 2
1 large pair shad roe
4 slices pancetta (Italian bacon)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
4 tablespoons fish stock
4 tablespoons softened butter
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the broiler. Carefully clean residual membrane from the roe and separate the sacs. Wrap each sac in 2 pieces of pancetta. Roll the roe in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and slip under broiler. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side depending on the size of the roe.
Remove from the broiler. Take the roe off of broiling pan and put aside in warm place while making the sauce. Pour the drippings from the pan into a small saucepan. Place on high heat and when hot add the vinegar. Let vinegar reduce by half. Add the fish stock and again reduce by half. Lower the heat and whisk in the softened butter, a little at a time, until all of it is incorporated. Remove the saucepan from heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To serve: divide the sauce between two dinner plates and set the roe on the sauce. This can be served with roasted red potatoes, or garlic mashed potatoes, and sautÚed spinach or baby greens.
Note: Can't find pancetta or raspberry vinegar? Not to worry. Thin sliced bacon and a good quality red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar will work wonderfully.
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