Illustration by Katie McBride
HISTORY
Every spring, for several weeks, you can find it lying on ice at your local fish market, an outlier among the more attractive cuts of salmon, flounder and trout: a bulbous garnet sac that more nearly resembles an internal organ. A total non-looker, but it won’t be there for long. Its fans have been pining away for the better part of a year for shad roe. Because inside its tender outer membrane is one of the great delicacies of the mid-Atlantic, a rich, granular mouthful with an oceanic taste.
Dubbed ‘’the founding fish” by author John McPhee, shad has had a cameo in many chapters of American history — from feeding George Washington’s soldiers at Valley Forge, to causing a Confederate loss in the Civil War at The Battle of Five Forks, when the general and cavalry commander just couldn’t say no to a shad bake and left their soldiers without the leadership necessary to hold their base.
WHAT TO BUY
Look for roe sacs that are springy to the touch and with no darkening around the edges, according to Travis Marshall of Yellow Umbrella Provisions, one of Richmond’s premier fish markets. Marshall says the color — which can vary from pale pink to crimson, depending on the shad’s diet and the waters it swam in — has no effect whatsoever on the taste of the roe. Still, for optimal texture, he suggests waiting for larger roe sacs later in the season. And be forewarned: The shelf life of the roe is not long, so prepare your catch within a day or two of purchase. If there are any conspicuous veins, remove them with great care using a pair of tweezers.
HOW TO PREPARE
Shad roe is best served with a quick-cooking method, such as poaching or pan-frying. You should expect to hear some popping in the pan as the egg-laden lobes make contact with hot oil or butter, so stand back or employ a splatter screen. Shad’s richness begs for an assertive allium, like onions or, since the two share a fleeting season, ramps. But it’s also wonderful just accompanied by some crispy bacon or ham, as in this recipe from shad roe devotee Walter Bundy, the chef/owner at Shagbark.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Shad Roe With Camembert Grits, Spring Asparagus Salad, and Champagne Hollandaise
Note: Read this recipe through completely, as there are multiple components that need to be pieced together for final assembly. This is the perfect brunch dish, as you’ll have plenty of extra Champagne to enjoy while you work!
Recipes by Walter Bundy of Shagbark
Prosciutto-Wrapped Shad Roe
Serves 2
1 set (2 pieces) of pristinely fresh shad roe
6 to 8 slices (4 inches wide) of thinly sliced prosciutto
2 ounces olive oil
4 to 5 ounces butter
Lay three to four prosciutto slices on a cutting board, making sure to overlap them. Place one piece of shad roe on the edge of the prosciutto. Starting at the edge, roll the prosciutto around the shad roe into a tube shape. Tuck any extra pieces of prosciutto underneath the roll. Repeat this process with the other piece.
Heat a sauté pan to medium/medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil in the pan, then gently lay the shad roe pieces in the pan, prosciutto side down. Allow the prosciutto to crisp. Gently flip/roll the shad roe to the opposite side, and sear to the same crispness.
Returning the roe to the starting side, add the butter to the pan and let it melt. Baste the roe with the melted butter for a minute, then remove the roe from the heat and set it on a small baking pan large enough to hold both pieces. Reserve until needed.
To serve, pair the roe with Camembert grits, a shaved spring asparagus salad and Champagne hollandaise.
Creamy Camembert Grits
6 cups whole milk
6 ounces whole butter
1 bay leaf
Sea salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups Byrd Mill stone-ground grits
1/2 cup Goats R Us Camembert cheese
Place milk, butter, and bay leaf in a 4-quart or larger sauce pot on low to medium heat. A Dutch oven or cast-iron pot — or any enamel-coated cookware that holds heat well — is ideal for this. Bring to a simmer and season the liquid with salt and pepper. Whisk in grits and keep on very low heat until they’re soft and creamy (a couple of hours), stirring occasionally to make sure they don’t stick or scorch.
Finish the grits by folding in the cheese at the last moment and checking the seasoning so you can adjust to your preference. Keep warm until serving. (This can be done ahead of time and reheated with a touch of milk or cream so you’re not waiting on grits for hours.)
Shaved Spring Asparagus Salad
1 bunch finger-thick asparagus
1 bunch fresh radishes
1 bunch fresh dill
2 hard-boiled eggs
2 tablespoons lemon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
Cut all the tips off the asparagus and place in a bowl of salted ice water. With a vegetable peeler, shave all the stalks of the asparagus into strips and place into the ice water. Slice the radishes thin on a Japanese mandolin or box grater and add to bowl of ice water. Drain ice and water and shake off asparagus and radishes to remove extra moisture. Reserve in bowl.
Grate or slice hard-boiled egg to a desire texture (box grater, microplane, pushed through a wire cooling grate). Season and dress the asparagus salad with olive oil and vinegar, then lightly fold in the hard-boiled egg. Reserve salad until needed.
Champagne Hollandaise
3 egg yolks
2 sticks butter, melted and clarified (or use whole butter, which will yield a slightly thinner sauce but richer flavor)
1/4 cup Champagne or sparkling wine
1/4 cup fresh minced chives
Sea salt and white pepper to taste
Combine Champagne with egg yolks and whisk over a double boiler (a bowl placed over a boiling pot of water) until the yolks and Champagne have a nice fluffy thickness and a light sunshine color (about 5 to 7 minutes). YouTube has some great videos helping to demystify this culinary endeavor.
Turn off the pot, throw a small handful of ice cubes in the simmering water to knock the temp down a touch and put your fluffy egg mixture bowl back over the top. While whisking, slowly drizzle in the clarified butter until the mixture is emulsified and slightly thick. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss in your chives, cover bowl with plastic wrap and keep over double boiler until needed so it stays warm.
Assembling the Dish
Pop your shad roe in the oven. They will only need about 3 to 5 minutes to heat sufficiently and finish cooking. With a sharp knife, cut the roe into the portions that you need. Set them atop a nice spoonful of Camembert grits. Drape the shad roe with a loving spoonful of the warm Champagne hollandaise. To finish, garnish the top of the dish with the asparagus salad and serve immediately.
