Gibby's Shad Pate

Gibby's Shad Pate - delicious served with crispbread or melba toast, a nice fresh salad & a glass of Chardonnay !

My Dad first met Gibby in then Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe) in the late 1960's - they both hailed from the UK and had joined the BSAP (British South African Police) and were living in then Salisbury (present day Harare, and the city where I was born). They have been friends for over 40 years now and from what I can tell, Gibby is an excellent cook !

Gibby has been an avid reader of my blog since the day I started it over a year ago, and has tried many of the recipes on it and we are in regular email contact (he now lives back in the UK) and he often describes for me the wonderful meals he cooks for his wife and friends. I have not seen him since I was a child, so was thrilled to hear that he would be in South Africa on a brief visit during my time here (the British Lions Rugby Tour !), and was hoping to meet him again.

As luck would have it, and due to all my date changes etc, we did not quite make it although we chatted on the 'phone and he spent some time with my parents at their home in the Eastern Cape. He whipped up this delicious Shad Pate when he was staying with them, & my Mum took some photo's and wrote the recipe down so that I could share it with you all.

Thanks for the recipe, Gibby and my only regret is that I was not there to enjoy it with you all - maybe next time, or perhaps on a future trip to the UK as I'd love to sample some of the delicious meals which you prepare !

(Shad are herring like fish which appear in huge shoals around the Eastern Cape coastline during certain times of the year - these shad were caught and smoked by one of my parent's neighbours less than 24 hours before being turned into this tasty pate !)

4 small fillets of Shad (Gibby says that you can use Mackerel instead)

1 tablespoon of Mayonnaise (or Creme Fraiche)

Lemon Juice - enough to soften/moisten the mix

1 heaped teaspoon of Horseradish (optional)

Chopped Chives / Parsley (optional)

Salt & Pepper to taste - if using unsmoked fish

Mash the fish fillets up with a fork, adding enough lemon juice to soften/moisten to the desired consistency. Add the mayonnaise (or Creme Fraiche) and mix to blend well. Add a heaped teaspoon of Horseradish if desired. You can also add some finely chopped chives and / or parsley to taste. Season with salt & pepper if needed.