Shad - Shad Roe With Bacon & Grits
Posted: 23 Oct 2019, 05:15
1 pint cold water
At least 1 roe sac per person
1/4 pound bacon
2 onions, sliced root to tip
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons honey (optional)
1 cup grits
Salt and black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Flour for dusting
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon juice to taste
Brine the shad roe first. Dissolve the salt in the cool water and submerge the roes in the brine for at least an hour, and up to 4 hours. The larger the roe sacs, the longer you will want to brine. 2 hours for shad, 1 for herring. About 45 minutes before you want to cook the roe, crisp the bacon slowly. Remove from the pan (eat a slice, you earned it), and set the bacon aside. Leave about 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan to cook the onions. Caramelize the onions in the bacon fat by cooking them over medium-low heat for 20 to 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. About 15 minutes into this process, add the thyme, a pinch of salt, and the honey if you are using it. When the onions are about done, chop up some of the bacon and add it to the pan. While the onions are cooking, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot, add a healthy pinch of salt, and sprinkle in the grits. Stir well to remove any lumps, then drop the heat to medium-low and cook the grits, stirring frequently, until they are smooth, about 20 minutes. Stir the unsalted butter into the grits and keep them warm. To finish the dish, either get another pan or set the onions aside and wipe out the existing pan. Remove the roes from the brine and dust in flour. Add at least 3 more tablespoons of bacon fat to the pan (add some butter or oil if you are short, but you shouldn't be), and brown the roes over medium heat. Normally this takes about 5 to 8 minutes total, and remember that it's better to have slightly underdone roe than roe that's been cooked to hell. Serve everyone some grits, with a piece of bacon on the side. Add some lemon juice and the chopped parsley to the onions and put some on top of the grits, grind black pepper over everything and give everyone some roe. Lemon wedges on the side is a nice touch.