Sage — season, tips, and recipes in New Zealand
Sage is a herbs available in New Zealand during January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, peaking in November, December, January, February. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy sage, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
One of the strongest herbs. A little goes a long way. Fried in butter until crispy, sage leaves are one of the best garnishes in cooking.
How to pick a good one
Velvety grey-green leaves that smell strongly aromatic when rubbed. Should be firm, not wilted or blackened.
How to store it
Fridge in damp paper towel for up to a week. Dries well. Fried sage leaves keep in an airtight container.
Goes well with
butter: Fried sage leaves in browned butter is one of the best things you can do in five minutes. The Maillard reaction in the butter and the intense aromatic oil released by frying produce a combination that's greater than its simplicity suggests.
pumpkin: Sage's slightly bitter, camphor-like intensity contrasts with pumpkin's sweetness. The combination is Italian in origin and appears consistently as the correct pairing for squash in pasta and risotto.
pork: Sage and pork is a combination found across Italian, German, and British cooking. Sage's resinous oils penetrate pork fat and add a complexity that the meat lacks alone.
white beans: Sage and white beans is a Tuscan combination. The herb's assertive flavour is absorbed by the beans' starchy mildness in a way that makes both taste better.
parmesan: Parmesan's umami and salt amplify sage's aromatic intensity. Used together in pasta, risotto, and gnocchi.
Recipes
Brown Butter & Sage Pasta
5 ingredients. Restaurant quality.
Ingredients: 300g pasta (pappardelle or gnocchi), 80g butter, handful sage leaves, parmesan, black pepper
Method: Cook pasta. Melt butter until foaming and turning golden brown. Add sage leaves, fry 30 sec until crispy. Toss with drained pasta, parmesan, pepper.
Fried Sage Leaves
The garnish. Crispy, salty, perfect on pumpkin.
Ingredients: handful sage leaves, 2 tbsp butter, pinch salt
Method: Melt butter until foaming. Add sage leaves in single layer. Fry 30 sec each side until crispy and darker. Drain on paper towel. Salt immediately.
Pumpkin & Sage Risotto
Autumn in a bowl.
Ingredients: 500g pumpkin (roasted mashed), 300g arborio rice, 1 onion, 1L stock, handful sage (some fried, some chopped), 50g parmesan, knob butter
Method: Sweat onion. Add rice, stir. Add stock ladle by ladle. Stir in pumpkin and chopped sage. Finish with parmesan, butter. Top with fried sage leaves.
Nutrition
One tablespoon provides 10% of your daily vitamin K. Contains rosmarinic acid and carnosic acid (same as rosemary). Multiple clinical trials have shown sage extract improves memory and cognitive performance in both young and elderly adults. One of the few herbs with direct evidence for cognitive benefits.