Planked Shad

Ingredients

• the fish, fresh from the stream
• tenpenny nails
• a thick oak board
• seasoned them as he knew would most suit Mr. Webster's taste

Method

1. 1

   Cut the shad in twain, fasten it to a thick oak board with tenpenny nails, slant it toward a hot wood fire, and baste it while cooking.

2. 2

   Serve on the oak gridiron.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Cooking for profit (1886) by Jessup Whitehead, page 356. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

planked shad; others protested that the great statesman was supreme. On sunny spring days, when parties of gentlemen went down the river to watch the fish nailed to their boards, sizzling and browning before the blaze of an outdoor fire, it was ar- ranged to have a trial for the cham- pionship between old Sam and Mr. Webster. Each contestant was well backed, and the lights of those early political days were all there. First Sam split the shad, seasoned them as he knew would most suit Mr. Web- ster's taste, and laid them before the orator done to a turn. "Really, Sam, this is the best planked shad I have ever eaten," quoth Daniel ; and applause rang from Sam's adherents. Next Webster laid aside his toga and hovered around the fire, knife and salt-box in hand, watching the shad that he had prepared in the way he knew would best suit Sam's taste. Sam ate three mouthf uls rapturously, and exclaimed: 'Fore God, Mr. Webster, I neber have tasted planked shad before !' Webster yielded grace- fully the palm to Sam, outdone by him in compliments as well as in cooking." "PLANKED" SHAD. Every little hotel and eating house fronting the Delaware at Gloucester has its specialty of " planked " shad. The fish, fresh from the stream, is cut in twain, fastened by tenpenny nails to a thick oak board

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.