Fried Sage Salsa Verde
A quick pass through hot oil transforms sage leaves. No longer leathery, they’re perfectly aromatic, ready to crumble into a simple combination of parsley, oil, shallots and vinegar. This fried sage salsa verde, which is adapted from "Salt Acid Fat Heat" (Simon & Schuster, 2017), can be drizzled over turkey, roasted vegetables, stuffing, casseroles or anything else that needs a little perking up.
- Total:
- Serves: 1 person
Ingredients
- 2medium shallots, finely diced
- ⅓cup red wine vinegar
- ½cup very finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves (from about 1 large bunch)
- ¾cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
- Fine sea salt
- 2cups neutral oil, such as canola or safflower, for frying
- ¾cup loosely packed sage leaves (from about 1 large bunch)
Instructions
Step 1
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.Step 2
In a small bowl, combine the shallots and vinegar, and set aside for 15 minutes to soften. In a medium bowl, combine parsley, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside.Step 3
Pour the neutral oil into a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, add a sage leaf to test the temperature. (The oil should be around 360 degrees.) When the sage leaf sizzles, add the rest of the sage and stir with a slotted spoon or spider. As soon as the bubbles subside, after about 20 seconds, remove the herbs from the oil and spread them out onto the prepared baking sheet. Season lightly with salt. The sage will get crisp as it cools.Step 4
Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to add the shallots (but not the vinegar, yet) to the parsley oil. Stir, taste and add salt and vinegar as needed to achieve a nice tang. Crumble and stir the sage into the salsa. The final sauce should be loose enough to drizzle from a spoon, so adjust with a little more oil if needed, then taste and adjust with salt and vinegar one last time before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. It makes an excellent accompaniment for Thanksgiving dishes, as well as any other roasted meats, vegetables or grilled fish.