The last of the summer produce

Charred sweetcorn, fresh green beans, crushed potatoes and mackerel

saturdaytable

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I had seen this post and fully intended on recreating it for my dinner last night. I had a v unserious appointment at the hospital, but I planned on treating myself to a rotisserie chicken from M&S, oven-cooked frozen fries and a proper Caesar salad. (I ate a much more elevated version of this at Sam and Kelli’s house last weekend). I walked confidently into the M&S by Hackney Central station and asked a lovely woman whether they sold rotisserie chickens. She told me the nearest place that did them was in Stratford and I said, “what’s a girl got to do to get a chicken!”; she laughed in a way that made me feel very good inside and I wondered around the supermarket for 20 minutes wondering what to eat. Unleashed in M&S – a rare thing for me – I was unsure of where my wondering would take me, but there I stood in front of the fish section and I immediately searched for mackerel.

The only thing I think about when I think of mackerel is this time that a new friend whose family owned a farm came to visit me at the shed. I had bought two fillets from my favourite fishmonger and she came with literal fruits of her labour: just-dug-up potatoes, a bag of freshly picked salad leaves and some long, verdant green beans. We went down to my favourite beach and cooked everything on the fire. I haven’t cooked mackerel in years, and actually don’t think I’ve cooked white fish in this flat ever. And so after a little solo half pint and a flick through The Virgin Suicides, I cooked in homage to those halcyon shed days; when it felt like summer lasted forever.

This is a recipe that requires little other than a hot pan, some good salty butter and your favourite dressing.