The American shad belongs to the herring family. It is the largest herring in North America and can grow up to about 24 inches and 6 pounds. It ranges along the Atlantic Coast from Florida all the way to Canada. It likes to eat zooplankton, microcrustaceans and small fish. This fish is quite a traveler and has a very interesting life cycle. It migrates upstream from salt water to fresh water to spawn. Shad make their journey to the rivers in late spring. They spawn at night in shallow areas where the water is moving. One shad can release up to 300,000 eggs! Most shad die after spawning, but some may survive to spawn another day. After hatching, the little shad live in their river nurseries until the next fall, when they start their journey back to the Atlantic Ocean.

There are many different ways to cook shad roe. Despite how it looks, the flavor is savory and slightly briny, and there’s no lingering aftertaste. Shad roe is known to take on the flavors with which its cooked, so the smokiness of bacon is a traditional pairing. The classic style of preparation varies from a gentle poach before roasting in the oven on low heat, broiling, or dredging it in flour and then pan-frying in bacon fat with capers. It’s typically served with toasted bread or mashed potatoes. Scraping the roe into beaten eggs and scrambling the mixture is another popular method.