BATTER FRIED SAGE LEAVES (SALBEY ZU BACKEN)

      Title: BATTER FRIED SAGE LEAVES (SALBEY ZU BACKEN)
  Categories: German
       Yield: 8 Servings
  
       1 c  (scant) flour
       3 tb Cold water
       1    Egg, beaten
            A few tablespoons white wine
            -(or hard cider)
       1    Egg white
       1 tb Melted butter that has been
            -allowed to cool
       1 pn Salt
       1 pn (small) sugar
  
   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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