Air-Fry This Herb For Fast Fall Flavors In Any Dish

Small batches of herbs can be dried out in the air fryer just the same as they can in an oven by leaving them at low heat for several hours. (They can also be dried in the microwave in a matter of minutes.) One sturdy, whole-leaf herb can also be prepared in a different way with the help of an air fryer. Sage leaves can be "fried" in just a few minutes after first being tossed in a coating of oil to give them some semblance of a fried taste that's full of fall flavor.

If you omit the oil, the air fryer will merely bake the sage leaves while blowing hot air at them. Speaking of which, before you cook the oil-coated leaves you may want to weigh them down by placing a rack on top of them or using mesh bags to enclose them. One of the air fryer disadvantages no one wants to talk about is that the circulating air can cause small particles to fly around inside the chamber, potentially sending them up into the heating element where they could catch fire. If you'd rather not risk it or you don't have an air fryer, you can also pan-fry sage leaves in a small amount of oil. Using this method, they'll be done in about 30 seconds. Whichever way you cook the sage leaves, finish with a flavor-enhancing sprinkling of salt.

Once you've fried your sage leaves and they're nice and crunchy, they can be used to garnish a variety of dishes. One simple, yet delicious preparation would be to cook up some pasta, toss it with a classic two-ingredient sage and brown butter sauce, then sprinkle the noodles with grated parmesan and fried sage leaves. You could also pair air-fried sage with other fall flavors. It would be perfect with pumpkin ravioli or butternut squash soup and would also complement cranberry goat cheese. The leaves are great with roasted meats such as pork, chicken, or turkey and can be scattered over a mound of mashed potatoes to add a little texture. (Make sure to have plenty on hand for Thanksgiving since they'll go with just about everything on the table.)

If you're willing to push the envelope a bit, you could incorporate crispy sage leaves into a dessert. Try them as a garnish for strawberry sorbet or crème caramel, or use them to reinforce the fall flavor and autumnal appearance of a pumpkin pie. They would even work well in cocktails, adding an intriguing herbal element to a salty dog, old fashioned, or whiskey sour.