Equipment
Ingredients
Main
- 800 g shad fillets, deboned
- 200 g bacon, thick-cut
- 2 lemon, sliced
- 10 g kosher salt
- 5 g black pepper, freshly ground
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 566 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbohydrates
- 8 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 1803 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 14 g
- Cholesterol
- 150 mg
- Potassium
- 939 mg
- Calcium
- 125 mg
- Iron
- 3.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 76 mg
- Phosphorus
- 589 mg
- Zinc
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin A
- 67 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 27 mg
- Vitamin D
- 9.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 6.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.3 mcg
- Thiamin
- 2.52 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.73 mg
- Niacin
- 20.6 mg
- Folate
- 57 mcg
- Water
- 206 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Submerge the hardwood plank in water and soak for at least 4 hours to prevent the wood from igniting over the intense heat of the fire.
Build a medium-large bonfire using untreated hardwood. Allow the flames to die down until you have a solid bed of hot, glowing embers radiating medium-high heat, approximately 200C/400F.
Pat the deboned shad fillets completely dry. Season both sides evenly with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Arrange half of the lemon slices in a single layer on the soaked plank. Place the seasoned shad fillets directly on top of the lemons, cover the fish with the remaining lemon slices, and drape the thick-cut bacon evenly over the entire assembly.
Place the plank near the glowing embers or on a grate directly over the heat. Bake until the bacon renders its fat to baste the fish, the bacon becomes crisp, and the shad reaches an internal temperature of 63C/145F.
Carefully remove the hot plank from the fire using heat-resistant gloves. Allow the fish to rest for 5 minutes before serving directly from the wooden board.
Chef's Notes
- Shad possesses a complex Y-bone structure that requires immense skill to fillet properly. Never attempt to debone this specific fish at home without prior training; always rely on a knowledgeable fishmonger.
- The bacon in this recipe is not just for flavor. Shad is relatively lean, and the slow rendering of the pork fat self-bastes the fillets, protecting them from the intense, drying heat of the open fire.
- Oak or hickory planks are the historic choices for East Coast shad bakes, offering a robust smoke that perfectly complements the rich bacon. Never use softwoods like pine, as they release toxic, bitter resins when heated.
- To ensure your plank remains fully submerged during its soaking phase, place a heavy pot or brick on top of it in a clean basin.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Texture of the delicate fish will degrade slightly upon thawing.
Reheating: Gently warm in a 150C/300F oven until heated through to prevent the fish from drying out.
Troubleshooting
Plank catches fire during cooking
Cause: Inadequate soaking time or placing the plank directly over active leaping flames rather than embers
Fix: Mist the edges of the plank with a water spray bottle and immediately move it further away from direct flames
Prevention: Ensure the plank is fully submerged for a minimum of 4 hours, weighting it down if necessary
Fish is overwhelmingly bony and difficult to chew
Cause: Shad was not adequately deboned prior to cooking
Fix: Eat very carefully, pulling the meat away from the bones with a fork
Prevention: Always purchase shad from a skilled fishmonger who knows the specific traditional technique for removing its complex internal bone structure
Cultural Context
The planked shad bake is a historic vernal tradition native to the East Coast of the United States, particularly prominent along the shores of the Delaware and Connecticut rivers. Native American tribes originally developed the method of affixing the fish to wooden boards around an open fire, a technique later adopted by European settlers to celebrate the annual spring shad run.
