Sage leaves & Sundried tomato Tempura

This recipe has always been a huge hit at cocktail parties!
This is a great way to showcase this beautiful herb and its meaty texture & delicate flavor which complements so well with the zesty punch of the sundried tomato and crispiness of the batter.
Note: Pair well with a Spanish white wine such as Albariño and Verdero or a crisp French Sauvignon blanc.

6 tbsp flour
2 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp nigella seeds (optional)
200ml beer
24 sage leaves
4 tbsp sundried tomato paste (black olive tapenade is a GREAT option)
300ml oil for frying (refined peanut, avocado, grapeseed, sunflower type oil are best)

1.     In a bowl, place all the dry ingredients and mix to combine.

2.     Using a whisk, make a well in the centre and slowly pour in the beer, mixing constantly until absorb. Keep mixing a little more vigorously until the batter become a fluffy.

3.     In a small soup pot, heat up the oil to about 360°F (180°C)**

4.     Wash Sage Leaves and pat dry with a tea towel.

5.     Spread a little sundried tomato paste on one side of each leaf.

6.     Dip Sage Leaves into the batter to coat, remove excess batter as they should be coated very thinly, and place in the oil one at a time.

7.     Fry in batches until batter is crispy.

8.     Transfer to a wire rack. Season with salt & pepper and serve immediately. 

**TIP - If you do not have a thermometer, you can use a new bamboo skewer as follow:
Wait for the oil to be hot (you will feel the heat by placing your opened hand just over the pot), then deep the tip of the skewer into the hot oil and count to 5 (seconds) – if the tip strt to bubble up within 5 seconds, the oil is at the right temperature. If not, remove the skewer and snap the tip of before renewing the temperature test.