Shad & Other Bony Fish
These are the fish that most Americans term “trash fish.” Why? Not because they taste icky, but because they have more bones than an “easy” fish such as striped bass or salmon. The extra set of bones makes then trickier to eat, but they are often fuller flavored than their pale cousins — salmon excepted, of course. The fish I’m talking about here are shad, herring, Sacramento pike minnow, carp, whitefish, mooneye, etc. Here are some of my favorite things to do with these fishies:
- How to Smoke Shad, or other oily fish such as mackerel, herring, sardines, freshwater drum, cobia or eel.
- Smoked Shad Aioli, also good with any of the above fishes
- Smoked Shad Rillettes or Pate
- Virginia Baked Shad
- Boneless Shad Fingers
- Shad Cakes, excellent with any bony fish
- Shad Roe with Bacon
- Salt-Cured Shad Roe (bottarga)
- Shad Roe Bottarga Pasta Sardinian Style
OTHER BONY FISHES
- Sichuan Crispy-Fried Carp, or really any other small, whole fish
- Escabeche of Jacksmelt, also works with any oily fish, especially and species of mackerel
- Herring with an Oatmeal-Nut Crust
- Deep-Fried Pike Nuggets, good for carp, too!
- Poached Pike with Fennel, a classic
NOTE: Some of these recipes are hosted on my About.com Seafood & Fish Cooking site.
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