Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-14
OId-Time Planked shad.
A Auxury to be Encountered Only cn tn
 Banks of the Potomac.

Luxury to be Encountered Only cn the
 Banks of the Potomac.
 Washington Corrsspondence Boston Budgst.l
 In ants-bellum days, at this season of the year, when there was a long session, a party went down the Potomac every Saturday on the steamboat Salem to eat pIanked shad. It was chiefly composed of Senators and Rep resentatives, with few leading officials, some prominent citizens and three or four newspaper men, who in those days never vii plated the amenities of social life by printing what they heard there. An importing house in Georgetown would send on board the steamer large demijohns filled with the best wines and liquors, which almost everybody drank without stint. Going down the river there was 8 good deal of card-p playing in the upper saloon of the boat, with some story telling on the hurricane deck Arriving at the White House fishing grounds, some would go on shore, some would watch the drawing of the seine from the boat, some would take charge of the culinary depart ment and few would remain at the card tables. The oaken blanks used were about two inches thick, fourteen inches wide and two feet long. These were scalded and wiped dry. A freshly caught shad was then taken, scaled, split open down the back, cleaned, washed and dried. It was then spread out on plank and nailed to it with iron pump tacks. The plank with the fish on it was then stood at an angle of forty-ive degrees before hot wood fire and baked uatil it was @ rich dark brown color, an attendant turning the plank every few moments and basting the fish with thin mixture of melted butter and flour. Meanwhile an experienced cook was frying fresh shad roe in 8 mixture of eggs and cracker dust at another fire, where sweet and Irish potatoes were being roasted in the ashes. On one occasion MT. Web ster, who had some eodfish sent him in ice on a government steamer from Boston, car ried them down on shad-bake, with large kettle, some pork, some ship-biscuit, some milk and some onions, and had 8 ehowder made by couple of us who were from Massachusetts. He was very partieu- lar in having the pork first cut into dice, fried and then taken out with screen. The melted pork remained in the kettle and in 1t were placed successive layers of fish, crackers, onions and potatoes until the kettle was tWo-thirds full, when we poured in a generous quantity of milk. I regret to say that the chowder was slightly burnt and was not success, although Mir. Web ster persisted in calling it excellent and ate several patefuls. The planked shad, mean shile, were served on the plapks on which they had been cooked, each person having a plank and picking out what portions he liked best, breaking up his roast potato on the warm shad, while the roe was also served to those who wished for it. After the fish came punch and cigars, and then they re-embarked and the bows of the steamer were turned towards Washington When opposite Alexandra an account was taken of the liquor and wine which had been drunk, and an assessment was levied, which generally amounted to about two dollars each. I never saw 8 person intoxi- cated at one of these shad-bRkss nor heard any quarrelling. The festivity at one of them, however, was marred by the acci- dental falling overheard of a young man from Georgetown, who was drowned.