SAGE PARKER RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap the garlic head in a piece of aluminum foil, and roast it until the garlic cloves are soft, 30 to 40 minutes. When garlic head is cool enough to handle, squeeze out the soft garlic from each pod. Place the soft garlic in a small bowl, and stir until a puree forms. Finely chop the large sage leaves, and stir them into the garlic puree; set the filling aside.
• Place 1/2 cup warm milk in a small bowl, and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Set aside to dissolve, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the remaining 3/4 cup milk into a medium saucepan, set over medium-high heat, and bring just to a boil. Cut 6 tablespoons butter into small pieces. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the butter pieces, the sugar, and the salt. Stir until the butter has completely melted. Set pan aside.
• Place 4 1/2 cups flour in the bowl of an electric mixer. Using your hand, make a well in the center of the flour. Place the yeast mixture, the butter mixture, and the eggs in the well. Fit the mixer with the dough hook, and, with the machine on low speed, blend just until the mixture starts to come together, about 2 minutes.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead until the dough becomes soft and smooth and is no longer sticky, 5 to 10 minutes, adding the remaining cup flour as needed. Lightly butter a bowl and an 11-by-17-inch baking pan. Place the dough in the buttered bowl. Turn the dough so that it is lightly coated with butter, and cover dough with a clean kitchen towel. Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Punch down dough, and let rest 10 minutes.
• Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Divide the dough in half. Roll out one piece on a lightly floured surface, keeping the second piece covered, forming a 10-by-12-inch rectangle; trim the edges as needed. Cut each rectangle lengthwise into five 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip into three 4-inch-long rectangles. Working with one rectangle at a time, brush half of it with melted butter, and spread about 1/8 teaspoon garlic-sage filling in a thin layer over the melted butter. Fold rectangle in half, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang at the bottom. Transfer the roll to the prepared baking pan. Repeat forming and making rolls, arranging them on the baking pan so they overlap slightly. Roll out remaining half of covered dough, and form remaining rolls. Cover the baking pan with a clean kitchen towel.
• Let the rolls proof in a warm place until they have doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Brush the top of each roll with melted butter and arrange 3 sage leaves on top. Bake rolls until they become golden brown on the tops, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve.

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the shallots and vinegar, and set aside for 15 minutes to soften. In a medium bowl, combine parsley, olive oil and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside.
• Pour the neutral oil into a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. After 2 minutes, add a sage leaf to test the temperature. (The oil should be around 360 degrees.) When the sage leaf sizzles, add the rest of the sage and stir with a slotted spoon or spider. As soon as the bubbles subside, after about 20 seconds, remove the herbs from the oil and spread them out onto the prepared baking sheet. Season lightly with salt. The sage will get crisp as it cools.
• Just before serving, use a slotted spoon to add the shallots (but not the vinegar, yet) to the parsley oil. Stir, taste and add salt and vinegar as needed to achieve a nice tang. Crumble and stir the sage into the salsa. The final sauce should be loose enough to drizzle from a spoon, so adjust with a little more oil if needed, then taste and adjust with salt and vinegar one last time before serving. Cover and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. It makes an excellent accompaniment for Thanksgiving dishes, as well as any other roasted meats, vegetables or grilled fish.