What do we do with sage? Let’s fry them! We use different varieties so we appreciate the nuances of taste and texture. We make ourselves a batter of beer, without egg, very light. In a bowl we put some flour – I love flour 0 which is less refined – and then, little by little, we add some frozen beer: 100% success of batter is given by cold beer. Here you can see, the batter must be thick but not hard. Do not do this with electric blasters, because you would lose the carbon dioxide of the beer. Let's check if the oil, which we have already put to heat, has reached the right temperature pouring in a drop of batter: it is important that the oil is very hot, so that the batter around the leaf swells immediately. Otherwise, the fried food becomes heavy and greasy, more waffly, ultimately. When the oil is at the right temperature point, we can proceed with the frying: let's start with the red sage, take the healthiest leaves and dip them in the batter, drain them for a moment and dip them in the oil. Let’s choose two big leaves of sage, let’s also take the classic one to fry and then use two of the classic saltimbocca leaves: these have a stronger aroma, but are more woody. In the mouth they are less attractive, but they are always delicious, also because anything you fry automatically becomes extraordinary. As soon as they’re swollen and golden, we dine them on a sheet of absorbent paper. After having let them dry a little, we flavour our sage leaves with a light sprinkle of salt: we use little of it because this herb already has a great flavor.
