SAGE

Debbie Major, our doyenne of rustic cooking, salutes the ancient Romans, who introduced sage to Britain. She brings this hardy, flavourful ingredient bang up to date with recipes that show off the leafy herb’s versatility

RECIPES AND FOOD STYLING DEBBIE MAJOR PHOTOGRAPHS ANDREW MONTGOMERY STYLING POLLY WEBB-WILSON

THE HERITAGE INGREDIENT

“One of the things I love about sage is that, as a woody perennial, it stays alive in my garden throughout winter, allowing me to add herby flavour to many of my favourite comfort dishes.

Indigenous to southern Europe, sage was probably, like so many heritage ingredients, brought to Britain by the Romans. Centuries ago it was used more for its remedial properties (its Latin name, salvia, comes from the verb to heal).

In the kitchen, smaller, younger leaves can be used whole, but I remove the tough stalks and central ribs from larger, more mature leaves before chopping. Some people find sage overpowering, and I wouldn’t recommend adding it to dishes in copious amounts as it can leave a medicinal taste. On the plus side, it cuts through oily or fatty foods, which makes it a good match for pork, goose and duck. It also partners well with bread, stuffing, dumplings and savoury scones (especially cheesy ones).

When it’s raw, the flavour of sage is quite harsh, but when it hits hot fat – particularly olive oil – something magical happens. Small deep-fried sage leaves make great nibbles with drinks, and they’re a good garnish, too.”

PERFECT MATCHES

The ingredients sage loves…

• Apples

• Chicken

• Cooked white beans

• Eggs

• Goose and duck

• Cheddar, parmesan and goat’s cheese

• Onions

• Pork, bacon and sausages

• Prosciutto and other air-dried hams

• Squash (butternut, crown prince and harlequin)

• Tomatoes

Lemon & fennel risotto with crisp-fried sage

THE HEARTY ONE

Lemon & fennel risotto with crisp-fried sage

SERVES 4. HANDS-ON TIME 50 MIN

I ate a dish similar to this when I worked in Naples many years ago. There, the skins of the lemons were particularly aromatic and went really well with the sage and cheese.