A delicious way to deal with the bony American shad.
Alosa sapidissima, more commonly known as American shad, lives up to its name—sapidissima translates to “most savory” or “tastiest.” Nicknamed “a poor man’s salmon,” shad has fallen out of favor with the home cook in recent years. That’s not because of its flavor, which is delicate and delicious, but because of the roughly 3,000 pin bones each fish contains, enough to test the patience of even the most dedicated chef.
American shad is, without a doubt, my favorite fish. I was immediately ‘hooked’ on shad fishing after catching my first one on the banks of the Connecticut River. But as much as I loved catching them, I didn’t always enjoy cooking them; the process of properly deboning a shad fillet requires real skill and not just a small amount of patience. Over the years, I’ve tried just about every method, from baking the whole fish to stuffing deboned fillets with shad roe, and everything in between.
This all changed when I discovered a new way to prepare shad that made cooking it more enjoyable, and eating it far more pleasant for my friends and family. After all, it’s hard to appreciate a dish when you’re picking through thousands of tiny pin bones. The solution is as simple as it is effective: run the skinless shad fillets through a meat grinder to make the bones virtually undetectable.
Since discovering this method, I’ve rarely prepared shad any other way. I keep my meat grinder nearby when cleaning the fish, run the skinned fillets through right away, and vacuum-seal the ground meat into 2-pound packages. It keeps them fresh and ready to use whenever inspiration strikes.
Although I’m only sharing one recipe here, ground shad is incredibly versatile. You can use it in pasta, chowder, homemade fish sausage, fish salad—anything you can dream up.
Ingredients:
Fish Balls
2 pounds ground fish (this recipe also works well with pike, pickerel, cod, catfish or bluefish)
1 shallot, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon Hook & Arrow – Habanero, Orange, Ginger Hot Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
Spicy Tartar Sauce
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Hook & Arrow – Habanero, Orange, Ginger Hot Sauce (more if you want some heat)
1 tablespoon sweet pickle, minced
1 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice from half a lemon
- In a large Dutch oven, heat enough vegetable oil to cover the fish balls—until it reaches 350°F. (Be careful not to overfill the pot, as the oil can bubble over when the fish balls are added.)
- While the oil comes up to temperature, grind the skinless shad fillets using a meat grinder. I like to cut each fillet into three or four long strips, which feed more smoothly into the grinder than chunks or cubes.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground fish, chopped shallot, parsley (reserving a pinch for garnish), eggs, breadcrumbs, and hot sauce. Mix well. If the mixture feels too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs to reach your desired consistency.
- Form the mixture into golf-ball-sized rounds. Working in batches of three to five, gently lower the fish balls into the hot oil—being careful not to overcrowd—and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels, then garnish with lemon zest and fresh parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and the spicy tartar sauce on the side.
Alternatively, you can form the mixture into fish cakes and fry them in a shallow pan on med/high heat until golden brown on each side. However you choose to shape or serve them, these crispy golden bites are a celebration of a truly underappreciated fish. The addition of Hook & Arrow’s Habanero, Orange, Ginger Hot Sauce brings just the right balance of heat and brightness to both the fish balls and the tartar sauce, tying the whole dish together. Feel free to experiment with your favorite hot sauce as well.
