Sage grows like crazy in my backyard and I don’t mind at all. It’s a perennial that is hearty enough to survive the cold and ice of bitter New York winters – and come back even stronger in the spring. My sage is of the Berggarten variety (Salvia Officinalis Berggarten to be exact) which produce big honking oval leaves that can be flash fried in hot oil, sprinkled with a little salt and eaten like potato chips. Fresh sage also plays a starring role in my Thanksgiving day feast showing up in both the turkey and the stuffing.
White beans cooked with fresh sage is an earthy pairing that is delicious on its own or as a side dish. But when I stumbled on a pack of Italian Sweet Sausage for only $1.69 a pound in my local supermarket the other day I knew immediately what I was going to do with it.
You must use fresh sage in this. Dried or powdered sage is hincky.
Need This
8 links of Italian Sweet sausage
4 – 15 ounce cans of cannellini beans – rinsed
2 celery stalks – chopped
4 cloves of garlic – chopped fine
A handful of baby carrots – chopped
Olive oil
6 fresh sage leaves
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper (optional)
Do This
Throw the sausage links into a pot and cover with clean cold water.
Put a high heat under the pot and bring the water to a rolling boil. Boil the sausage for 10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the boiling water then rinse them off under running water to remove any excess fat still clinging to them. Set the sausage on a plate with paper towels and let dry.
Put a glug of olive oil into a large fry pan and put a medium heat under it. Fry the sausage links until they start to golden up. Allow to cool, then cut each link in half lengthwise and then chop crosswise to get little half moons.
Put a couple of glugs of olive oil into another large deep pan (a wok works best). Throw in the chopped garlic, celery and carrots. Put a medium heat under the pan and sweat the vegetables for a good three to four minutes.
Add the cannellini beans to the pan with the veg and give it all a good stir.
Throw the chopped sausage half moons into the pan with the veg and beans. Add salt and ground black pepper to taste and mix it all up nice again. Continue to cook under a medium heat for another five minutes, stirring frequently.
Roll your fresh sage leaves up into each other then feather-chop them into julienne strips. Add the fresh sage to the sausage and beans and cook for one minute more stirring frequently.
Remove the heat from under the pan and serve immediately. A little crushed red pepper (the pizza parlor variety) adds some nice heat to the servings – for whoever’s in the mood.
Serves 4. My cost approx. $ 7.98 total – about $ 2.00 per serving.
