# A Shad Roe First  (Sous Vide to Ninja)



## Bearcarver (May 3, 2022)

*A Shad Roe First*  (Sous Vide to Ninja)​

*I just had to give this method a try, and it worked really good!!*
In the past I made Shad Roe Pan-Fried, Broiled, Baked, and Cured & Fried. I always took them a little farther done than I think was needed, because I don’t care for the texture of Rare Shad Roe.
So now that I’ve had my Sous Vide Supreme for awhile, and learned a lot about using it, I go by much of what I learned from the only SV book I ever bought *“Sous Vide For the Home Cook”, written by Douglas E Baldwin.*
So I generally go to YouTube when I want to try something new. I get a bunch of ideas there, and then I run them by my Baldwin book to make sure it’s safe.
   However when it came to Shad Roe, I searched everywhere, and I couldn’t find a single place where anyone had ever put any Shad Roe into any SV controlled Hot Water Bath.
So my other "fish" searches turned up the need to use at least 131° Temp, and about 4 1/2 hours in the bath.
That’s where I took over, the way I usually do, by going a few degrees higher (140°), and a little longer (6 hours).
I figured I would like the texture more that way, and if there’s a problem, I could cut it back a little.

*Now I’ll go to what happened & what I actually did:*
Bear Jr & his business helper registered for a Shad Fishing Contest in the Delaware River. It was a 4 day event with 10 prizes for each day, a pretty good "Boat & Motor set-up" prize, and a grand prize of $20,000 cash.
The first 2 days the River was too high from all the rain the previous days & weeks. The water Temp was also too cold for Shad to move, at 48°, as they start moving at about 52°. The 4th day was beautiful, but anyway they ended up boating 12 Shad, but none were anything abnormal in size, so no prize winners.  However 2 of them were Roe Shad, and Bear Jr cut the Roe out & bagged them for “His Dear Old Dad”.

*So this is where I took over:*
First I rinsed the 4 lobes of Shad Roe & put them in a plastic container.
Then I added water until they were submerged, and added a tablespoon of Table Salt, swishing it around while pouring it in. Then into the Fridge for an overnight soak. Then in the morning, the complete container full of water was Dark Pink, almost blood Red from the blood removed from the soaking Roe. I drained the container, rinsed the Roe, and put them back in the container submerged in clear unsalted water, to get rid of excess salt.
A couple hours later I rinsed them again, Dried them off pretty good, and bagged them all in the thickness of one, added some hunks of Butter, and vacuum sealed the bag.
Then at 10 AM I set my Sous Vide Supreme at 140° & put the bag in, clipped to my SV rack.  At 4 PM I removed the package & put it right into a big bowl of ice, and then into the Fridge.

*Time To Cook: (Ninja Time)*
I lightly rinsed the Roe Sacks one more time & patted them dry with paper towels.
Then I set my Ninja at 390°, on Bake, and let it Pre-heat.
When it was Ready I put 3 big thick slices of Bacon in for 4 minutes & removed the Bacon. Then I put all the Roe in the Baking Pan, in the Bacon Fat, & closed the lid.
At 3 minutes, I flipped them over & at 5 minutes I checked them out. They were nearly done to my liking, so I put the Bacon back in, on top of the Roe, and gave them another 2 minutes, and called it quits.
As you will see below, that Bacon, along with all that Roe, and some Cranberry Sauce gave this Roe Loving Bear Two Awesome, Belly Stuffing Meals.

Don’t miss the Pics below,

Bear

Roe(Eggs) from 2 average Female "Roe" Shad:







Getting ready to pre-soak. Note the top one got cut into when gutting fish:






Bagged with butter for Sous Vide @ 140° for 6 hours:






Frying some Bacon to get Grease in the Pan:






SV cooked Roe in Ninja Baking Pan:






About ready to flip Roe:






Laid partially cooked Bacon on top of Roe, to finish it All for 2 more minutes:






Bear's first night's Supper with Shad Roe, Bacon, and Cranberry Sauce:






Baking some more Bacon for 2nd Night:






2nd Night's Supper same as the First:


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## TNJAKE (May 3, 2022)

Nice write up John but I'll have to pass lol. I'll take a plate of bacon though!


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## smokerjim (May 3, 2022)

Looks tasty bear


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## gmc2003 (May 3, 2022)

Sorry John but that ones not going on my to-do list either. I agree with Jake nice write up for those who are into Roe. 

Point for sure
Chris


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## jcam222 (May 3, 2022)

I’d give them a go if cooked solid all the way through. I’ve eaten many bluegill and other panfish roe when I was younger. Tasty. Usually pan or deep fried them.


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## Bearcarver (May 3, 2022)

LOL---You guys don't know what you're missing.
When made properly, Shad Roe is one of the best things to eat, on the planet.
*I think I told this story before, but I'll tell it again:*
Back in my younger days, when I was busy in my Cabinet Shop, I built a couple of new Bars, Kitchens, and Waitress Stations for a couple Restaurants.
The one place was my regular hang-out "Spinnerstown Hotel". They made a pretty good Shad Roe Dinner there, and they always let me know when they had it on the menu (In Spring). My Dad was a serious Hunter & Fisherman, and the 4 of us kids got to eat all the stuff he harvested. Shad Roe & Sucker Roe were two of the items that both of us Sons, and both of our Sisters absolutely loved.
If any of us found out about a Restaurant having Shad Roe on the menu, we would be sure to let the others know.
I always loved it when people went Ewwww, Yuck, how can you eat that??? That just meant there was more for me. 
The bartenders knew I'd be coming in & ordering Shad Roe, and eating it, with French Fries, right at the Bar that I built myself.
   So one night I'm sitting at the bar, having a Miller High Life, and a Young Lady came in & sat right next to me & ordered Shad Roe. The bartender looked at her, then he looked at me & smiled. The girl said "Did I say something funny?" 
I said, "No, these guys thought I was the only one who will eat Shad Roe at the Bar". She said, "Well they better get used to it, because I just moved into the area, and I just found out they have it here, so I'll be here every Spring & often!!"
I told her when I heard the Female Voice ordering Shad Roe, I had to look & see if you were one of my Sisters, because they are 2 of the rare Females who Love Shad Roe".  She said, "it sounds like your Sisters have Great Taste."

BTW:  "Spinnerstown Hotel" stopped serving "Shad Roe" at the Bar or in the Dining Rooms, because it's so expensive for them to get Wholesale, they claim they can't make any profit on it.

Bear


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## GonnaSmoke (May 3, 2022)

John, nice write up and like 

 jcam222
, I've eaten my fair share of bream and crappie roe fried. The shad roe I've eaten was also fried and mixed in with grits, bacon on the side...


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## jcam222 (May 3, 2022)

Bearcarver said:


> LOL---You guys don't know what you're missing.
> When made properly, Shad Roe is one of the best things to eat, on the planet.
> *I think I told this story before, but I'll tell it again:*
> Back in my younger days, when I was busy in my Cabinet Shop, I built a couple of new Bars, Kitchens, and Waitress Stations for a couple Restaurants.
> ...


Love the backstory! Did you gig the suckers? Have you ever had pressure cooked sucker patties? Such an amazing sweet white fish.


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## Nefarious (May 3, 2022)

I think I'll pass on the roe and the suckers.  I fished for suckers when I were kids, would never eat anything from the river/ creek I cought them in.  Just tossed them back in.  Carved a notch in the tail to see if I ever caught one more then once, never did.


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## mike243 (May 4, 2022)

I don't think I could put enough bacon on it to choke it down lol , when I was a little Feller I remember they kept eggs out of bluegill and fried them with eggs for breakfast, probably why I didn't eat fish until my mid 20's


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## crazymoon (May 4, 2022)

Bear, Looks  tasty,  I've had my share of fried yellow perch roe but never shad.


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## Bearcarver (May 4, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Love the backstory! Did you gig the suckers? Have you ever had pressure cooked sucker patties? Such an amazing sweet white fish.


Thank You Sir!!
No I never did any jigging---I preferred Slow Dancing.
Actually My Dad had a special place in Spring for Suckers, right where the Tohickon Creek emptied into the Delaware River. He caught them by the buckets full @ 19" to 25" in length.  I got most of mine (Same length) with my Jennings "Arrowstar", from a couple small streams I frequented, while trapping. We both removed the Sucker Roe & gave the bodies to my Grandfather, to rototill them into his garden.
Yes I did have Sucker patties, but not pressure cooked. I preferred Pickerel Patties, as long as the bones were ground up real good, because Pickerel were so bony.
Most of the smaller fish, had tasty Roe, Sunfish, Buegills, Yellow Perch, Crappies, etc, etc, but none of them carried the huge amounts, like the Shad & the Suckers.
A lot of them had Egg Sacks not much bigger than Rabbit Kidneys.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (May 5, 2022)

TNJAKE said:


> Nice write up John but I'll have to pass lol. I'll take a plate of bacon though!



Thank You Jake!!
LOL---I feel the same way about Grits & Poi.
I don't think I ever ran into anyone who doesn't like Bacon.
Even the Vegans I know actually like Bacon---they just don't eat it any more.
More for Us !!

Bear


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## Bearcarver (May 5, 2022)

smokerjim said:


> Looks tasty bear


Thank You Jim!
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


gmc2003 said:


> Sorry John but that ones not going on my to-do list either. I agree with Jake nice write up for those who are into Roe.
> 
> Point for sure
> Chris



Thank You!!
I understand Chris!!
We feel the same way about Grits & Poi.

Bear


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## MJB05615 (May 5, 2022)

I'm late to the party John.  Great write up as said above.  Looks very good.  I've never had Roe of any kind, wonder is it a strong flavor or mild?  Nice work.


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## gmc2003 (May 5, 2022)

Bearcarver said:


> Thank You!!
> I understand Chris!!
> We feel the same way about Grits & Poi.
> 
> Bear


Totally understand John, 

Chris


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## Bearcarver (May 6, 2022)

MJB05615 said:


> I'm late to the party John.  Great write up as said above.  Looks very good.  I've never had Roe of any kind, wonder is it a strong flavor or mild?  Nice work.


Thank You Mike!
If it is prepped, like I showed, and cooked like one of my Step by steps, I consider it mild, as do those I know who have had them like this.
If you don't prep them properly, they can be strong, as they should be.
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear


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## HalfSmoked (May 6, 2022)

Hey, I'll take my share herring roe if no shad roe.   

Warren


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## bauchjw (May 6, 2022)

Sorry! Late to comment! Awesome thread and write up! Like a lot of your threads there is a bit of nostalgia for me, I grew up eating pan fried Sheaphead roe from a fresh lake my family goes to. I haven’t had it in a long time, not sure if I miss it enough to go after on purpose, but great memories! Looks delicious!


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## Bearcarver (May 6, 2022)

mike243 said:


> I don't think I could put enough bacon on it to choke it down lol , when I was a little Feller I remember they kept eggs out of bluegill and fried them with eggs for breakfast, probably why I didn't eat fish until my mid 20's



Bluegill eggs are great, but the sacks are too damn little.
Shad & Suckers are the best, and carry a pound or 2 of eggs in their Roe Sacks.
Both fish are too Bony, unless you're good at making patties with bony Fish flesh!

Bear


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## Bearcarver (May 7, 2022)

HalfSmoked said:


> Hey, I'll take my share herring roe if no shad roe.
> 
> Warren



Thanks Ole Buddy!
Yup---I think I finally found a good way to cook those cans of "Herring Roe" I got awhile back, after talking to you about it. Gonna give it a try in the near future. I'll probably wait until the current run is over, in case Bear Jr brings me some more Fresh Shad Roe.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (May 7, 2022)

bauchjw said:


> Sorry! Late to comment! Awesome thread and write up! Like a lot of your threads there is a bit of nostalgia for me, I grew up eating pan fried Sheaphead roe from a fresh lake my family goes to. I haven’t had it in a long time, not sure if I miss it enough to go after on purpose, but great memories! Looks delicious!


Thank You Jed!!
We don't have Sheepsheads around here, that I know of, but I did a search, and the Roe is sought after too.
To me they look like a Large mix between a Yellow Perch & a Bluegill
Probably has Great Roe!!

Bear


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## bauchjw (May 7, 2022)

Bearcarver said:


> Thank You Jed!!
> We don't have Sheepsheads around here, that I know of, but I did a search, and the Roe is sought after too.
> To me they look like a Large mix between a Yellow Perch & a Bluegill
> Probably has Great Roe!!
> ...


I had no idea they were sought after.. other people at the lake treated them like river carp, but my pop loves them and gets excited to find roe when cleaning them. I never had a taste for fresh water fish, wish I did, but I grew up with it as a meal every summer and I never complained. It was tasty. As usual, I appreciate the memories Bear!


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## Bearcarver (May 8, 2022)

bauchjw said:


> I had no idea they were sought after.. other people at the lake treated them like river carp, but my pop loves them and gets excited to find roe when cleaning them. I never had a taste for fresh water fish, wish I did, but I grew up with it as a meal every summer and I never complained. It was tasty. As usual, I appreciate the memories Bear!


We were the opposite---Mostly Fresh Water fishing:
Small Mouth Bass & Catfish in the DE River.
Trout in all the streams.
Bass & Pickerel in lakes & ponds.
Yellow Perch, Crappies, Gills, and Sunnies everywhere.
We had fresh freshwater fish to eat all year round, and Roe every Spring.
LOL---Along with Venison, Rabbit, Squirrel, Grouse, Pheasant, Ducks, Woodcock, Doves.
When I was in 5th & 6th Grade, my Dad used to get me out of school on Fridays, at Noon, so we could get any early start to the Poconos to catch our Friday Supper.

Bear


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## Ringer (May 8, 2022)

This really looks great! I wish we had this locally (i need to check) so I could try it.


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## Bearcarver (May 8, 2022)

Ringer said:


> This really looks great! I wish we had this locally (i need to check) so I could try it.



They do have Shad Roe in SC, but like anywhere else, it's expensive:
"Charleston Seafood" has Shad Roe, when in season for $83 for 4 sets.
So that's $40 for what I'm showing in my first or second Pics, on this thread.
Unless you can catch them yourself around Feb or March.

Bear


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## Bearcarver (May 8, 2022)

crazymoon said:


> Bear, Looks  tasty,  I've had my share of fried yellow perch roe but never shad.


I've had a few Yellow Perch Roe, and they were Great, just like all the other Pan-fish, but you need a lot of them for a meal. You can get a whole meal from a Shad Roe or Sucker Roe, and if you get Roe from a Shad, near the end of the Spawning Run, you can feed a whole family with the Roe from one Shad!! They get huge!!

Bear


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