It was one of those days when we both had much to do and neither had thought about what we were having for supper. It’s a store cupboard/freezer meal, we agreed as we stared at an empty fridge at 6:00pm on a Sunday, knowing we had little chance of finding a shop open. We’d done a big online order on Saturday, for delivery this week, and had forgotten to consider Sunday. I set about to figure something out.
It didn’t turn out so bad after all. Finding a couple of frozen salmon filets bought when there was an offer on, a few potatoes and a bunch of kale a day or two passed its used by date, I realised I had the ingredients for Nigel Slater’s Salmon Colcannon. Dead easy, delicious, and including the time to boil the potatoes, took no more than half an hour.
Basically; it’s lightly cooked salmon and sautéed kale mixed into mashed potato with plenty of butter, pepper and salt, and maybe an extra dribble of olive oil and a sprinkle of parsley, if you have it, to finish. A bright and cheery dish we’ve had several times, and it never fails to please us. So as long as you’ve got some salmon in the freezer, some potatoes, and any kale like green you can make it. Of course, if you plan in advance to make it, use fresh salmon. Here’s Nigel Slater’s recipe again.
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My recent publications
Life in four stories
Four shorts: two about life, love, and death; one a poignant and disturbing memory that dangles a question unanswered; and one a wild fantasy – plus the first chapter of my latest book, Otto and Frankie.
All proceeds go to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to help the most vulnerable communities fight COVID – 19.
By buying this book you are helping fund ICRC in its valuable work.
Thank you.
My latest novel, Otto and Frankie, is about a dying man’s fight against injustice, his wife’s unusual affair, and the love from his long-lost daughter.
Otto and his daughter Frankie could not be more different. He’s rich, an acclaimed author, human rights activist, and lives in England. She lives in New York, just about survives from one pay cheque to the next and hasn’t seen or spoken to her father for twenty years. Dutifully reunited by his impending death, she’s amazed to find him a kind and noble man who, while grappling with his wife’s bizarre affair, champions for the world’s forgotten and dispossessed to his last. After Otto’s death, Frankie’s admiration for her father leads her into a dangerous and life changing pursuit.
Nick Wastnage 