I hesitate to call this a recipe because it really is just one ingredient and it’s so easy, I almost didn’t put it on the blog. But then I thought it’s a lovely garnish that is quite underrated. And it’s NOT FRIED!
As you are aware, we’re going through the Tosca Reno Eat-Clean Vegetarian Cookbook and I made Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Hazelnuts and Crispy Sage (page 192) and was fully intending on frying the sage leaves (in 1 tbsp olive oil) when it dawned on me that I could nuke them, the way I nuked thinly sliced potatoes to make potato chips. Yes, indeed.
It was a success! They literally melt in your mouth; although they are rather tasty, they do lose a bit of their perfume which is not a bad thing as I sometimes find sage a little overpowering.
The time spent in the microwave will depend on your machine, each one is different. I found 2 minutes with the amount in the photo was just perfect.
Wash sage leaves and dry well. arrange on a folded paper towel so that they do not overlap. Microwave for 1-2 minutes or until crispy. I found that the little ones crisped up a lot faster than the larger, thicker ones but they were all lovely and crispy.
Hmmm, this didn’t seem to work for me. All that happened is the sage leaves turned brown. What did I do wrong?
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Hi Lauren, I’m sorry it didn’t work out. Were they 100% dry? Maybe your microwave is too hot, try at a lower temp for a bit longer. I just dried cilantro verge same way and it worked fine. I wish you luck.
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Genius! Sometime sit’s the simple things in life that make all the difference!
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Thank you Claire, it is quite a nice garnish.
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Great recipe, and the cookbook sounds amazing!
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I, for one, am so glad you posted this! I love, love sage, and your crispy leaves make such a gorgeous garnish!!
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Thank you kindly Liz, I was rather surprised at how well they turned out.
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What an excellent thing to post because I never thought of doing the fried sage leaves I have always loved in this way. Without the oil and mess. awesome
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Thank you so much, I hope you enjoy them.
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That vegetarian roasted squash dinner sounds amazing. I’m loving the look of the sage leaves and I agree, the flavour of sage can be very intense so if a little is lost in the cooking process, that’s fine with me as well xx
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It was very tasty indeed, thank you Charlie.
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Love this idea! Gotta try it. I “toast” some spices in the microwave, too. Things like cumin seed. Just put them in a dish where they can spread out (like a Pyrex pie plate), and microwave until they’ve darkened (but aren’t burnt) and are fragrant. So interesting what you can do in a microwave!
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I love that John, definitely will try it next time! I have a very small copper frying pan that I use to toast spices.
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That’s fabulous Eva and great that they’re not fried. Sage is very overpowering so when served like this it’s definitely not a bad thing if they lose a bit of perfume đŸ˜€
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Thank you Lorraine.
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I just grow sage for fun and the wonderful smell, because I rarely use it. But now I have something to do with it! thanks
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I hope you do try it Chef Mimi, it really is lovely.
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Eva, I’m really glad you did decide to post this recipe because it’s a fantastic idea I would never have (I’d think the leaves would go limp instead of crispy…). I do post many tricks/recipes of this kind because a long time ago I realised I loved learning these from the others, so maybe it works the other way round… Sometimes the simplest things are the best and the most interesting.
I grew sage last year, but I used it so rarely… I decided to pull it out because as you say it’s such a strong scent and taste, I don’t have enough ideas to use my own big harvest.
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I almost did the same thing with my sage this year but it’s such a beautiful leaf that I just couldn’t resist. Thank you for your kind words Sissi.
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Nice tip, Eva. I don’t grow the stuff so I don’t have extra to experiment with but I wonder if it’s a good way to dry the sage for use later in baking. I finally tried the browned butter sage sauce over gnocchi and it IS pretty amazing.
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Hi Maria, I haven’t seen sage leaves as large as my home grown variety so I’m not sure how well it would work. Sage and brown butter are very lovely indeed.
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I too am glad you posted this recipe, I have sage in my garden, have to make, wonder if they keep well?
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Hi Norma, like anything you dehydrate, I think it’s paramount to get it 100% dry, otherwise there may be mould if stored. I thought about freezing but I would freeze only in a hard plastic container as a bag would damage them too easily as they are very delicate.
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What a great and easy idea! I have lots of sage and will have to try that.
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This is delicious Eva and I love that it’s not fried. I have two sage bushes in the back that are going wild, so this is great timing too. Can’t wait to try it!
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Sage is just beautiful, my one variety has enormous leaves yet the chocolate sage (yes, it’s a thing) has tiny leaves, although I know you’re not a chocolate fan.
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Nice, I love herbs cooked in this way… xx
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Thank you Lizzy, it’s indeed quite lovely.
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I am glad that you have decided to share it! I must give this a try! So simple and amazing.
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Thanks Angie, they still pack a delightful flavour.
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