Baked Shad

When a fish is to be baked, it should be emptied through the gills, and the head left on it. When this is done, wash the fish perfectly clean, and prepare a filling of finely-grated bread crumbs, sufficient to fill it; season them with pepper and salt, a small onion chopped fine, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley and half a teaspoonful of sweet marjoram. Melt a piece of butter the size of an egg, and pour over the crumbs, after they have been well mixed with the seasoning; stir together with a knife; beat up an egg and mix through it, and fill the fish; lay it on a trivet in a long dripping-pan, season it with pepper and salt and dust it lightly with flour, and set it in a rather quick oven; when it begins to brown, baste it with butter and hot water stirred together. A large shad will require an hour to bake. Make a sauce of half a small teacup of tomato or mushroom catsup, a glass of wine, the juice of a lemon and half a teacup of boiling water; thicken this with a teaspoonful of flour, mixed in a very little cold water; give a boil up.

When you have dished the fish, if there is any drippings from it in the pan, add it to the sauce, pour over the fish and serve with sprigs of parsley for a garnish.

Potted Shad

After the shad has been cleaned, wash and wipe it dry, and cut it into six pieces across the back, making of each half of the fish three pieces; cover the bottom of an earthen crock or pan; season with pepper, salt, whole allspice, whole cloves, and two blades of mace to each layer; then on this put another layer of fish, seasoned as before, and so on until you have all the fish seasoned in layers; cover with vinegar, tie some brown or sugar-loaf paper tightly over the top, or it may be covered with a large plate; bake very slowly for four hours. This is a nice relish for tea, and is served cold.

How To Broil A Shad

Scale it; split it open on the back, keeping the knife close to the bone; wash it in several waters; wipe it dry, and broil it on a gridiron over a bright fire, turning it several times. A large shad will take fifteen or twenty minutes to cook. Serve it on a hot dish, with plenty of butter, pepper and salt.