Equipment
Ingredients
Fish
- 600 g boneless shad fillets, patted dry, completely boned
Filling
- 150 g fresh spinach, washed and roughly chopped
- 100 g ricotta cheese, drained
- 50 g cream cheese, room temperature
- 30 g parmesan cheese, finely grated
- 2 garlic, minced
- 4 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly cracked
Topping
- 40 g italian style breadcrumbs
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 lemon, zested and cut into wedges
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 531 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbohydrates
- 13 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 1133 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 13 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 130 mg
- Potassium
- 886 mg
- Calcium
- 311 mg
- Iron
- 3.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 87 mg
- Phosphorus
- 517 mg
- Zinc
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 279 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 27 mg
- Vitamin D
- 7.2 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 3.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 189 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.4 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.37 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.54 mg
- Niacin
- 13.6 mg
- Folate
- 112 mcg
- Water
- 174 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Lightly oil a baking dish.
Heat 5ml of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and chopped spinach. Sauté until the spinach is completely wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and firmly squeeze out excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel or fine mesh strainer.
In a mixing bowl, combine the drained spinach, ricotta, cream cheese, parmesan, half of the lemon zest, salt, and black pepper. Mix vigorously until smooth and uniformly combined.
Place the shad fillets flat on a clean cutting board. Use separate utensils to avoid cross-contamination with raw fish. Spread an even layer of the spinach and cheese mixture over each fillet. Carefully roll the fillets up from the thinner tail end to the thicker end, or simply fold them in half if they are short. Place them seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.
In a small clean bowl, toss the breadcrumbs with the remaining 10ml of olive oil and the rest of the lemon zest until the breadcrumbs resemble wet sand. Spoon this mixture generously over the top of the stuffed shad fillets.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the fish is opaque and flakes easily. The internal temperature of the fish must reach 63°C/145°F for food safety.
Remove from the oven and let rest for 3 minutes. Serve hot with fresh lemon wedges on the side.
Chef's Notes
- Shad is notorious for its complex, free-floating Y-bones. Procuring truly boneless shad requires a highly skilled fishmonger. If boneless shad is unavailable, substitute with a milder, firm white fish like branzino or haddock.
- The rich, oily nature of shad pairs exceptionally well with the acidity of the lemon zest and the astringency of the spinach, balancing the dish perfectly.
- For an extra layer of flavor, consider adding a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg to the spinach and ricotta mixture to highlight the dairy notes.
- Ensuring the cream cheese is at room temperature is crucial for a smooth filling; cold cream cheese will leave unappetizing lumps in the mixture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store in an airtight container. The breadcrumb topping will lose its crispness.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a 150°C/300°F oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
Troubleshooting
Watery filling leaking into the baking dish
Cause: Spinach was not drained thoroughly enough before mixing with the cheese
Fix: Carefully drain excess liquid from the baking dish before serving
Prevention: Squeeze the cooked spinach in a clean kitchen towel until completely dry
Breadcrumbs burning before fish is cooked
Cause: Oven runs hot or fish fillets are excessively thick
Fix: Tent the baking dish loosely with aluminum foil for the remainder of the cooking time
Prevention: Verify oven temperature with an independent thermometer
Encountering small bones in the finished dish
Cause: Shad was improperly filleted
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Shad has complex Y-bones; always purchase from an expert fishmonger and double-check with clean tweezers before cooking
Cultural Context
Shad holds a unique place in culinary history. In North America, the spring shad run was a vital food source for indigenous peoples and early colonists, often celebrated with shad bakes. In Italy, the local shad equivalent, known as Cheppia, is a traditional springtime catch, often prepared with robust local herbs, cheeses, and breadcrumbs to complement its rich, oily flesh.
