Sage
Used in 4 recipes on RecipeWiki.
Sage leaves are soft, grey-green and velvety, with a strong, warm, slightly camphor-like and peppery flavour that suits rich, fatty and sweet foods. Unlike basil, sage stands up to heat and improves with it: fried in butter, the leaves turn brittle and nutty, which is the sauce for Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter. It also pairs naturally with the sweetness of squash, as in Roast Squash and Sage Soup. Use it with restraint, as too much tastes musty. Fry leaves in foaming butter for only seconds, until they stop sizzling and crisp; left longer they darken and turn bitter. Keep fresh sage wrapped in damp kitchen paper in the fridge.
Most often cooked with
Butter
Garlic
Lemon
Pumpkin seedRecipes with sage
Braised White Beans with Sage
Dried beans soaked in salted water and held at a bare simmer, so the skins stay whole and the liquor turns silky.
Fresh herbs
Italian
Side dishes
Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter
Baked potatoes riced while hot and bound with as little flour as they will take, which is the difference between light gnocchi and bullets.
Cheese
Roast Squash and Sage Soup
Squash roasted until the cut faces caramelise, then blended with stock and sage, which gives a depth that simmering raw cubes never reaches.
Soups
Vegetarian
Roast Squash with Sage and Chilli
Squash roasted in thick crescents with the skin left on, finished with sage crisped in oil and sliced red chilli.
