Batter fried sage leaves (salbey zu backen)

8 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 cup (scant) flour
3 tablespoons Cold water
1 Egg, beaten
A few tablespoons white wine (or hard cider)
1 Egg white
1 tablespoon Melted butter that has been allowed to cool
1 pinch Salt
1 pinch (small) sugar

Directions

This recipe is taken almost verbatim from a cookbook originally published in 1709; the language has been slightly modernized, but only 2 ingredients have been added (sugar and salt).

plenty of nice fresh sage leaves oil or shortening for deep frying Take the flour and mix with the cold water into a thick batter that must be smooth. Then mix in the beaten egg and stir well; pour in a little sour wine, yet not too much. Beat the egg white into soft peaks and fold into the batter. Finally, add the butter as well as a very little salt and sugar and stir the batter once more. Wash and dry off the sage leaves, dredge them in the batter, and fry them on both sides in hot lard (see Note) until crispy.

Note: I [=Horst Scharfenberg] would suggest that you fold in the egg white last of all and let the batter sit for about 30 minutes beforehand. Also, vegetable oil or shortening is recommended for deep frying rather than lard.

Makes 8 servings.

From: THE CUISINES OF GERMANY by Horst Scharfenberg, Simon & Schuster/Poseidon Press, New York. 1989 Posted by: Karin Brewer, Cooking Echo, 7/92

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