How To Cure Shad

Clean the shad nicely, place them in layers with back down, and laid open so as the inside of the fish may be up. Sprinkle each fish plentifully with ground salt, and let them stand twenty-four hours. This draws out all the blood. Wipe them all dry with clean napkins. Place them in layers in a clean tub, with the backs down as before. For one hundred shad take half a pound of saltpetre, and two pounds of brown sugar. Strew plenty of rock salt over them with the saltpetre and sugar; there is no danger of putting on too much salt as they will only absorb a certain quantity.

Shad Roasted On A Board

Take a piece of clean oak board, about three inches thick and two feet square, stand it before the fire till the board is very hot, indeed, almost charred. Have your shad split down the back, cleaned, washed, wiped dry, and seasoned with salt. Fasten it to the hot board with a few small nails - the skin side should be next the board; place the board before the fire, with the head part down. As soon as the juices begin to run turn it with the tail down. It should be turned frequently, in order to retain the juices. When done, butter it and serve it hot. Send it to the table on the board. This is the receipt for baking shad of the Philadelphia "fish house."

Broiled Shad

Split your shad down the back, wash it, and season it well with salt. Have your gridiron heated - grease the bars - put on the shad, and broil it slowly till quite done. It should be of a fine brown on both sides. If designed for the dinner-table, after having basted it well with butter on both sides, fold it over, that it may assume its original form, and serve it.

Shad, Souced

Cut the fish in half, and then in slices, crosswise. Put them in a milk crock, with very sour cold vinegar poured over them; then add Cayenne pepper, fine black pepper, salt, and whole allspice. Put a crust over the top of the crock, and stand it in an oven. The fish must be highly seasoned.

Boiled Shad

Clean your shad, wash it and wipe it, flour it well, wrap it in a cloth, and put it into a large vessel of boiling water with a great deal of salt. It will require about twenty minutes to cook it. Serve it with egg sauce or rich drawn butter.

Fried Shad

Cut your shad in half, wash it and wipe it dry, score it, and season with Cayenne pepper and salt, dredge flour over it, and fry it in hot lard. When done, put the two halves together, that it may assume the appearance of the whole fish.

Potted Shad

Cut a shad in six or eight pieces, wash and wipe it dry. Mix one dessertspoonful of ground allspice, half a table-spoonful of black pepper, and half a table-spoonful of salt - sprinkle a portion of this seasoning over each piece of shad. Put them into a stone jar, with enough good cider vinegar to cover them; cover the jar with a clean cloth, and over this tie closely several thicknesses of brown paper to keep in the steam; set it in a moderate oven and let it remain twelve hours. This is very good, but the fish is dark-colored.

White Potted Shad

Cut a shad in about half a dozen pieces, wash it and wipe it dry. Mix together two tablespoonfuls of whole allspice and one tablespoonful of whole black pepper; put one tablespoonful and a half of salt over the shad the evening before it is to be potted; the next morning sprinkle over it half a teaspoonful of Cayenne pepper. Place the shad in a stone jar, and over each layer throw a portion of the grains of pepper and allspice, cover it with vinegar, and set it in a moderate oven for twelve hours.