Potato Screws

Did you know you could turn potatoes into delicious screws?

These scrumptious potatoes are purrfect for accompanying a main meal or for eating alone dipped into a dipping sauce.

Cooking time:  15 minutes preparing, 40 minutes baking

Makes: 2 potatoes

Difficulty Level:

1.5 wooden spoons +

What you need:

Ingredients:

  • 2 medium potatoes (you may want some extra to practise the cutting)
  • ¼ cup melted butter or olive oil
  • ¼ cup (50g) grated parmesan cheese (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • Herbs e.g. rosemary (optional)

Equipment:

  • Mixing bowl
  • Chopping board
  • Sharp knife
  • Baking tray
  • Wooden bbq skewers

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC, or 180ºC fan (390ºF, or 360ºF fan).
  2. Microwave the potatoes for 1 minute, then leave in the microwave for 10 minutes to cool down and soften. (DO NOT touch the potatoes before as they will be very hot!)
  3. Once your potatoes have cooled, insert a wooden skewer into the bottom of each potato and gently push it all the way through the top.
  4. Working in a spiral motion from one side to the other, hold a sharp, thin knife at a slight angle and cut in the opposite direction you are turning the skewered potato, cutting all the way down to the skewer.


    Take your time and work to make an even spiral all the way down the potato. Try to avoid cutting towards the cuts you have already made. If you make a mistake don’t worry, your potatoes will still taste delicious!

  5. Gently fan out each potato down the length of the skewer, until you have even gaps between the slices. Place on a baking tray.
  1. In a medium bowl, combine the parmesan cheese if using, garlic powder and paprika with some salt and pepper.
  2. Chop up herbs finely, if using.
  3. Brush (or drizzle) the melted butter/oil all over the potatoes.
  1. Coat the potatoes with the spice mixture, making sure some of it goes inside the gaps. Turn them so they are entirely coated and sprinkle with herbs, if using.
  2. Bake in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until nicely browned and the potatoes cooked through.
  3. Let the potatoes cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

    If you are serving them on the side of a main meal you may want to carefully pull out the wooden stick first.

Further suggestions

Try making this with other spices and herbs. Let us know what you tried!

You could also try it using a sweet potato.