Fried Sage Leaves

A quick and easy way to use sage. Great as an appetizer or as a garnish to your favorite pasta or meat dish. This is the basic, no coating recipe and see my Fried Sage Leaves II for leaves with a light coating. You can use any kind of sage, but some people prefer the smaller varieties. Berggarten sage, which produces large leaves with a felty texture, can feel a bit fuzzy on the tongue. I listed the amount of sage leaves as one cup, but use 1 leaf or 40, whatever you need! Enjoy!

• Ready In: 15 mins
• Serves: 10
• Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil, as needed for 1/2 inch depth
• 1  cup  whole medium-sized fresh sage leaf (see Tip)
• 1  dash salt

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
2. 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.).
3. Transfer the leaves onto a paper towel-lined plate. The leaves will become crisp as they cool. Sprinkle lightly with fine-textured salt.
4. **The fried sage will keep for up to 2 days in a tightly closed container at room temperature.