Recipes › Sage › Sage Fritters with Lemon Dipping Cream
Sage Fritters with Lemon Dipping Cream
Whole sage leaves dipped in a light, seasoned batter and fried until crisp and blistered — the kind of snack you make once and immediately start planning to make again. The sage leaves become intensely savoury and faintly perfumed inside a shatteringly thin coating, served alongside a sharp lemon and crème fraîche dip that cuts straight through the richness.
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Ingredients
- 60 fresh sage leaves, stems left on as a handle, leaves kept whole and dried thoroughly
- 100 g plain flour
- 150 ml sparkling water, ice coldice cold lager gives an extra-light batter
- 1 egg, yolk only
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 600 ml sunflower oil, for fryingany neutral oil works
- 150 g crème fraîchethick Greek yoghurt works if you prefer a lighter dip
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 cloves garlic clove, finely grated
- ½ tsp flaky sea salt, for finishing
Contains: cereals gluten, eggs, milk.
Method
- Make the dipping cream first: stir together the crème fraîche, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and the grated garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more lemon if you want a sharper edge. Cover and refrigerate until needed.About 3 min
- Pour the sunflower oil into a deep, heavy saucepan — it should come no more than one-third of the way up the sides. Heat over a medium-high heat until a small cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden in about 30 seconds, or the oil reaches 175°C on a thermometer.About 5 min
- While the oil heats, make the batter. Whisk together the flour, egg yolk, and a good pinch of salt in a bowl. Pour in the ice cold sparkling water and whisk briefly until just combined — a few lumps are fine and preferable to overmixing. The batter should be the consistency of single cream. Do not make the batter more than 5 minutes ahead.About 2 min
- Pat the sage leaves completely dry with kitchen paper — any moisture will cause violent spitting and a soggy coating. Working in batches of 8 to 10 leaves, hold each leaf by its stem, dip it into the batter to coat, let any excess drip off for 2 seconds, then lower carefully into the hot oil. Fry for 60 to 90 seconds, turning once, until pale golden and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper.About 10 min
- Immediately season the fritters with flaky sea salt and a squeeze of the remaining lemon juice. Serve without delay alongside the chilled dipping cream.About 1 min
Tips
- Cold batter and hot oil is the essential combination — keep your sparkling water in the freezer for 10 minutes before you start if you have time.
- Fry in small batches; adding too many leaves at once drops the oil temperature and results in greasy, pale fritters rather than crisp ones.
- These must be served immediately. Even 5 minutes of sitting makes the batter lose its crunch. Have your guests ready before you start frying the last batch.
Ring the changes
- Stuff each sage leaf with a small sliver of anchovy fillet before dipping in batter — the Italian preparation known as salvia fritta con acciughe and completely extraordinary.
- Use rice flour instead of plain flour and swap the egg yolk for an extra 20ml of sparkling water for a vegan, gluten-free version with an even lighter, more tempura-like texture.
Keeping it
Fritters do not store well and should be eaten immediately. The dipping cream keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days, sealed.
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