Recipe - Deep-Fried Sage Leaves

36 Whole sage leaves
washed and dried
Hot oil for deep frying
to depth of 1 inch

BATTER
1 cup Lager beer
2/3 cup Allpurpose flour
Salt & pepper; to taste
1 Egg white; at room temp.

Select whole, unblemished sage leaves with stems left on, for easy
handling.

Combine beer, flour, salt and pepper in small bowl until smooth. Batter
should have the consistency of cream soup. Let stand at room temperature at
least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, beat the egg white until it is fairly stiff but not dry. Fold
into batter. Dip whole sage leaves in batter to coat both sides.

Deepfry in hot oil or shortening until crisp and golden brown on both
sides. Drain on paper towels; serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Enright says that Chef Willy Brand, of Toronto's George Brown College,
first tasted these when he worked in Switzerland, where the sage leaves
were popular at cocktail parties. She also says that these are good served
with selected cheeses, or with deepfried wedges of camembert or brie and a
tomato dipping sauce.

From Nancy Enright's Canadian Herb Cookbook. By Nancy Enright. Toronto:
James Lorimer & Company, Publishers, 1985. Pg. 104. ISBN 0888627882.
Posted by Cathy Harned.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini