The aioli I made today paired wonderfully with hot smoked salmon, roast broccoli spears and The Koala’s special potatoes.

Our kitchen is mostly my domain, but The Koala has a few recipes up his sleeve, one of them being these fried potatoes. These potatoes are easy to make and uses very few ingredients. We usually have these with steak or fish and the crunchy outer gives way to a fluffy interior.

Koala’s Taters

(The Koala’s special recipe)

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 medium potatoes
• 1 cup cooking oil
• Salt

Preparation

1. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 litre of water to the boil.
2. Peel the potatoes, leaving whole. Once water is boiled, add potatoes and cook for 15 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes and once cool enough to handle, cut into 1.5 to 2cm (about 3/4″) thick slices.
4. Heat 1 cup cooking oil in a deep skillet or a saute pan. Once oil is hot, using tongs carefully add potato slices to the oil in a single layer. Fry for 10-15 minutes until golden, turning once.
5. Remove potato slices and drain a paper towel lined plate.
6. Season with salt and serve immediately.

Roast broccoli spears are great way to enhance the mild flavour of broccoli. If you love broccoli but haven’t tried it roasted, give this easy recipe a try. A good alternative for those who do not like asparagus or if asparagus is out of season or out of budget.

Roast broccoli spears

Serves 2 as a side dish

Ingredients

• 1/2 a head of broccoli, including stem
• Cooking oil spray
• Salt
• A squeeze of lemon

Preparation

1. Pre-heat oven to 200°C.
2. Wash broccoli and remove 1cm from the very base of the stem. Slice broccoli into spears, you are aiming for pieces a similar that are a height and width as asparagus spears.
3. Spray a cookie sheet or oven proof dish with cooking oil. Lay broccoli in a single layer on top and dress with more cooking oil, a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of salt.
4. Bake for 10 minutes. Broccoli is done when the edges just start to brown.Remove from heat and serve.