Outdoor Planked Shad Bake

Name: Outdoor Planked Shad Bake
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 16 servings
Ingredients: 6 whole shad fillets, about 8 pounds; Salt and pepper to taste; 12 thick slices bacon or salt pork; Lemon wedges

By Charlotte Libov

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Rating: (0)
Comments: Read comments

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Ingredients

Yield:16 servings

6whole shad fillets, about 8 pounds
Salt and pepper to taste
12thick slices bacon or salt pork
Lemon wedges

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Prepare a small bonfire with scraps of any softwood like pine. Ready a plank of hardwood, preferably oak, that is at least an inch thick and about 2 feet long by 2½ feet wide.
Step 2
Season the fillets with salt and pepper. Arrange them, skin side down, on the plank. Lay two strips of bacon or salt pork across each fillet. Using large-headed nails, nail through the bacon into the fillets so that they are fastened securely to the plank.
Step 3
Prop the plank upright about 6 inches from the fire, with the fillets vertical. Bake 15 minutes; turn the plank so the end previously on the ground is now on top. Bake 15 minutes or so more, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove the nails and bacon, and serve fish immediately with lemon wedges.