As I pondered on what dishes would be prepared over the weekend, I stumbled upon “Salted Shad” and I thought to myself; “my grandma would just love this!” Mama as I call her, would engage in conversations about the good ole days when things were really inexpensive and refers to money in currencies, that I happen to be clueless about, such as “quatty” and “two pence.” She constantly ask me about individuals who were way before my time. They all remember me (of course, I was a child), however I have no recollection of them. But….and this is a rather big BUT….if there is anything I remember, it’s that song Shad and Banana. I don’t know the words verbatim, I just remember the tune, actually I only recall three words in the song: “shad and banana.” It is playing in my head right now and it’s catchy too.
It’s kind of odd that I have no recollection of most of my grandma’s friends, but I can remember Shad. Mainly in part because food has always been a part of me. I guess I am a true foodie at heart. Shad isn’t even cooked as often as it used to. If you ask the new generation about shad, they have absolutely no clue either.
“Anyhoo” my mama was ecstatic when I told her that I had found Shad while I was out grocery shopping. She was so excited, she refused to leave the kitchen. She stood there coaching me…more like delegating… on the shad. “Shad cyan tek to much wata enuh.” Translation: (Shad doesn’t require too much water). Then she started again: “mek di coconut milk cook out like run dung.” Translation: (allow the coconut milk to reduce). Run dung is a Jamaican term for mackerel or any fish stewed in coconut milk.
For someone who is legally blind, she sure can see whenever she wants to.
Shad is often mistaken for mackerel. They are not the same. In my opinion, shad packs a whole lot more flavor than the mackerel. The taste is reminiscent of solomon grundy; a fish pate made from smoked herring. Shad is the original fish of the product Solomon Grundy and is usually served with crackers.
It is an extremely delicate fish. Mama was right. It doesn’t require much cooking, otherwise it begins to disintegrate. It is a boney fish and I found it a bit tedious removing those bones. Never-the-less, it was well worth all the effort dedicated to preparing this nostalgic dish for my lovely grandma.
I love you mama!