Use your extra sage leaves to fry them in batter
The original recipe for Beer Battered Sage Leaves, also known as Sage Tempura, comes form Italy. In Mediterranean cuisine sage is very common as it grows there in large quantities and pretty much everywhere. If you have read the classic Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis you might have noticed sage was mentioned in the story at least several times.
In colder climates you can grow sage in your garden or in a pot on your window sill. Sage is very aromatic and its bitter flavour is associated with Fire Element.
What to have Beer Battered Sage Leaves or Sage Tempura with
This dish a very impressive party snack and a healthy alternative to shop-bough snacks. I usually serve it as a starter or a side with my dinner.
The beer batter in this recipe will make about 50 large sage leaves. Pick the leaves together with the stems so that you can hold them by the stems to dip it in the batter.
To make the beer batter
In a medium-sized mixing bowl add the following:
- Sweet 1 egg, whole, whisk energetically,
- Pungent a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of black pepper,
- Salty a pinch of sea salt,
- Sour 3-4 tablespoons of plain wheat flour,
- Bitter 50-60 ml of beer, a pinch of turmeric.
Mix all the ingredients until they form a thick batter. The batter needs to be quite thick otherwise it will drip off the leaves.
Wash the leaves and pat them dry with a kitchen towel. Dip the leaves one by one in the batter. Make sure both sides are covered with it generously. Fry on a large frying pan with a few tablespoons of oil on both sides until golden brown.
Serve on their own or with cold soups like Watermelon and Tomato Gazpacho.
For other tempura recipes see elderflower tempura or nettle crisps.
