fried mint leaves

My first taste of one of these crispy, fried mint leaves is one of my favorite culinary memories. The were accompanying a quick sauté of freshly picked shell peas, and the whole experience made me sow a huge amount of both mint and peas the following spring just so I could nibble until my heart’s content on this simple, fresh feast.

A quick note: You can pretty much fry any herb as a tasty topping…mint, sage, basil and parsley are just a few of my favorites. 

Ingredients:

• Handful of mint leaves

• Vegetable oil

• Salt

Wash and dry mint leaves…they must be completely dry or won’t fry up well. 

In a saucepan, heat up a 1/4” of vegetable oil. The oil is ready for frying once it sizzles. 

Drop a few mint leaves in at a time and fry for 10-15 seconds on each side or until the leaf takes on a stained-glass look. 

Dry on a paper towel or newspaper. Lightly sprinkle with a smidge of salt. 

If the leaves are browning, the oil is too hot. Remove pan from heat and try again once it cools a bit.