Sage Pudding

Name: Sage Pudding
Yield: makes 6 small puddings (about 3 cups total)
Ingredients: 20 small, tender sage leaves (enough to almost fill a tablespoon, firmly packed); 1 quart milk; 4-inch piece vanilla bean; 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar; 4 tablespoons cornstarch; A large pinch of salt; 6 large egg yolks; A heavy-bottomed saucepan, 3-quart capacity; A sturdy wire whisk; Ramekins, small soufflé molds, or your favorite serving cups or glasses

December 14, 2011

It was on a visit to La Mozza that I discovered this simple but elegant dessert, budino alla salvia—sweet sage pudding. Fresh sage has always been one of my favorite herbs. We grow it in the garden all summer, and pot the plants and keep them in the sunroom in winter. I use salvia leaves in all kinds of savory dishes, from pasta sauces to roasts—and now I use them in desserts too. To keep its assertive flavor in check, I infuse the custard with sage, then strain out the leaves. Serve the pudding chilled—plain, or topped with a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraîche, or with a biscotto or cookie (such as Fregolotta, page 122).

Recipe notes

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