Fried Sage Garnish Recipes

FETTUCCINE WITH SAUSAGE AND FRIED SAGE

Steps:

• Bring four quarts of water to a boil for the fettuccine.
• Fry the sage leaves in the olive oil in a skillet until they are crisp. Drain them on paper towels, leaving the oil in the skillet.
• Chop the sausages in chunks and sauté them in the oil until the pieces are browned, adding the garlic toward the end so that it gets golden but not burned. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine until al dente.
• Pour off the fat from the skillet (preserving the garlic) and add the cream. Bring it to a boil, scrape up cooking juices and return the sausage to heat through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Drain the pasta and put it in a heated serving bowl. Pour the sauce on top. Toss and sprinkle with sage leaves. Serve with Parmesan passed separately at the table.

FRIED SAGE GARNISH

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat.
• When the oil is hot so that drops of water sizzle when sprinkled into the oil, add the sage leaves. Fry for about 15 seconds, turning occasionally with a slotted spoon or tongs. (Don't let the leaves brown, or they'll become bitter.).
• Transfer the leaves onto a paper towel-lined plate. The leaves will become crisp as they cool. Sprinkle lightly with fine-textured salt.
• *The fried sage will keep for up to 2 days in a tightly closed container at room temperature. *.

FRIED SAGE SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the shallots and vinegar, and set aside for 15 minutes to soften. In a medium bowl, combine parsley, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Pour the neutral oil into a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, add a sage leaf to test the temperature. (The oil should be around 360 degrees.) When the sage leaf sizzles, add the rest of the sage and stir with a slotted spoon or spider. As soon as the bubbles subside, after about 20 seconds, remove the herbs from the oil and spread them out onto the prepared baking sheet. Season lightly with salt. The sage will get crisp as it cools.
• Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to add the shallots (but not the vinegar, yet) to the parsley oil. Stir, taste and add salt and vinegar as needed to achieve a nice tang. Crumble and stir the sage into the salsa. The final sauce should be loose enough to drizzle from a spoon, so adjust with a little more oil if needed, then taste and adjust with salt and vinegar one last time before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. It makes an excellent accompaniment for Thanksgiving dishes, as well as any other roasted meats, vegetables or grilled fish.

PASTA WITH BUTTER, SAGE AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil; salt it. Cook pasta until it is tender, but not quite done.
• Meanwhile, place butter in a skillet or saucepan large enough to hold the cooked pasta; turn heat to medium, and add sage. Cook until butter turns nut-brown and sage shrivels, then turn heat to a minimum.
• When the pasta is just about done, scoop out a cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta. Immediately add it to the butter-sage mixture, and raise heat to medium. Add 3/4 cup of the water, and stir; the mixture will be loose and a little soupy. Cook for about 30 seconds, or until some of the water is absorbed and the pasta is perfectly done.
• Stir in cheese; the sauce will become creamy. Thin it with a little more water if necessary. Season liberally with pepper and salt to taste, and serve immediately, passing more cheese at the table if you like.

FRIED SAGE LEAVES

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, heat 1/4 inch oil over medium-high heat until hot enough to toast a bread crumb in 30 seconds. Toss sage in flour, shake vigorously to remove as much flour as possible and fry, 30 seconds per side. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve with cocktails.