Although salmon is one of the most popular fish varieties to cook, it isn’t the only fatty, rich, and buttery fish you should be eating. For another super-tasty, lesser-known fish, try American shad. This often overlooked fish has a sweet, succulent flavor and silky texture that doesn’t disappoint and can be prepared a variety of ways, similar to salmon, including grilled, fried, baked, and broiled.
Also like salmon, American shad is an anadromous fish, meaning it’s primarily an ocean fish, but it migrates to freshwater rivers to spawn. It is the largest fish in the Clupeidae family — which includes herrings, shads, sardines, and menhadens — and measures 20 to 24 inches on average. The silvery fish is indigenous to the Atlantic Ocean along the coast of North America, although it was brought to the Pacific in the late 19th Century. Sometimes referred to as America’s “founding fish,” it was a significant food source for Indigenous Peoples on the Northeast coast, as well as American colonists, including founding father George Washington.
While it has a rich taste that rivals salmon, American shad is generally a less expensive fish and is sometimes even called the “poor man’s salmon.” Any negative perception of shad is largely related to the significant number of bones found in the fish, which makes it difficult to fillet. However, with a few helpful tips, you can cook up a perfectly tasty meal with this flavorful fish in no time.
Cooking tips for this bony fish
The species name of American shad, Alosa sapidissima, means “most delicious,” a perfect reflection of its tasty, rich flavor. However, the sumptuous fish is also often compared to a porcupine, given that it has, on average, over 700 Y-shaped bones. In fact, the Algonquin name for the bony fish was “Tatamaho,” which loosely translates to “inside-out porcupine.”
Luckily, you can buy shad fillets at fish markets that have been deboned by professional (and very skilled) fishmongers. Bear in mind, you may have more luck finding it at local markets during the American shad commercial fishing season, which typically runs mid-February through May or June. Given its luscious flavor, the fatty fish can be pan-seared in a simple sauce, like in a herby lemon butter fish skillet recipe. Or, follow some pro-chef tips for perfectly grilling your fish.
If there are bones, some of the smaller ones may dissolve if the fish is prepared in a pressure cooker or at a low temperature for several hours. But always be careful when eating a fish with bones, and know what to do if you accidentally swallow a fish bone. Besides the tasty meat of the fish, American shad roe (the unfertilized egg sacs) are prized for their deliciousness, but are difficult to find due to the limited season they’re available.
