Broccoli and squeak

This is a winning way to use leftover cooked potatoes – baked, boiled or roast – combining them with fried onion, freshly steamed broccoli and a pleasing hit of garlic and spice. You’ll need a good non-stick pan to get things richly browned but not actually burnt.

• serves

  2-4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (60 ml) olive or rapeseed oil
• 1 onion, quartered and sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 tsp curry paste or powder, or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes or chopped fresh chilli (optional)
• 1 small head of broccoli (about 300 g), trimmed and cut into 3–4cm pieces, stalk and all (see Note)
• About 400 g leftover cooked potato
• A generous squeeze of lemon juice
• Sea salt and black pepper

Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a side

Instructions

1. Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a large frying pan (about 28 cm) that has a lid, over a medium heat. Add the onion with a good pinch each of salt and pepper and stir well. Once the onion is sizzling, lower the heat and cover the pan. Let the onion sweat, stirring now and again, for about10 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and curry paste/powder or chilli, if using, and cook for another couple of minutes.
3. Add the broccoli to the pan and stir well, then add 3 tbsp water. Cover and let the broccoli steam for about 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan now and then, or until all the water is evaporated. Remove the lid and cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring as the broccoli and onion start to colour.
4. Clear a space in the middle of the frying pan and spoon in the remaining 1½ tbsp oil. If the potatoes are still whole, crush them with your hands before adding to the oil. Stir to mix the potatoes with the broccoli and onion.
5. Now turn up the heat a little and fry the mixture to heat the potatoes thoroughly and get some colour on everything. Don’t stir constantly or this will never happen! Instead, leave the mixture for a minute or two, then toss or stir and leave for another minute or two. Keep going for 8–10 minutes until the veg are rich golden brown in places.
6. Season with a good squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch more salt and a twist of pepper, and serve straight away

Note

• You can use any broccoli here: Tenderstem, purple sprouting, etc. This also works nicely as a simple side dish without the potatoes.
• You can add any leftover cooked meat or fish that you have, cutting or tearing it into small pieces and stirring it in with the potatoes. The dish is excellent with a fried or poached egg, too.

Recipe and image from High Fibre Heroes by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Bloomsbury Publishing, $54.99)

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.