Sage can tie your Thanksgiving meal together

Sage is one of those herbs chefs love to love. With its earthy, peppery perfume and textured leaves that fry crisp like chips or saute soft like blankets, it offers a range of savory sensations that can help pull together an elegant Thanksgiving menu.

Sage is beloved around the world for its heady aroma and its ability to coax depth from nearly any ingredient. Primarily known for the way it enhances different meats – the veal and pork saltimbocca of Italy, the ham of Germany, even mutton in the Balkans. It also stars in vegetable dishes like minestrone soup. Marinades are made from it, cheeses are studded with it, teas in China are brewed from it.

The British pair sage with onions to flavor poultry and sausage. Sound familiar? Think traditional stuffing with sausage and sage, or the one here with cranberries; creamy and crisp roasted potatoes peppered with sage; and a golden turkey dappled with the almond-shaped leaves.

“It’s almost effervescent, it has a great pronounced flavor,” says Scott Drewno, executive chef of The Source in Washington. And its ability to complement the other flavors of the season make it a perfect choice for Thanksgiving.

“It’s an herb that’s warming, like cinnamon, star anise,” Drewno says.

Try these sage recipes for your Thanksgiving meal.

Yield: Serves 12

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine

1/4 cup orange juice

6 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a blender, combine olive oil, red wine vinegar, orange juice, sage leaves, thyme, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend until smooth. Serve with your favorite greens.

Source: All sage recipes by Alison Ladman, Associated Press

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 90 calories; 80 calories from fat (97 percent of total calories); 9 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 1 g carbohydrate; 0 g protein; 0 g fiber; 80 mg sodium.

Cranberry Sage Stuffing

Yield: Serves 8

Splash of oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

2 tablespoons fresh sage, minced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup orange juice

1 (12-ounce) bag stuffing mix, prepared according to package directions

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil and saute yellow onion, carrot, celery and sage. Add dried cranberries and orange juice. Simmer until the orange juice is mostly evaporated. Stir into a 12-ounce bag of stuffing mix, then prepare according to package directions.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 220 calories; 35 calories from fat (15 percent of total calories); 4 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrate; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 560 mg sodium.

Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes (10 minutes active)

Servings: 12

3 acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds each)

2 tablespoons butter, melted

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

12 fresh sage leaves

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup maple sugar

Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

Cut each squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut each half in half again so that you have a total of 12 quarters. Brush the butter over the interior flesh of each piece. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then arrange the quarters on the prepared baking sheet, skin side down.

Place 1 sage leaf in each of the interior hollows of the squash. Drizzle with the maple syrup, then sprinkle with the maple sugar. Bake for 1 hour, or until tender and browned.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 110 calories; 20 calories from fat (16 percent of total calories); 2 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrate; 1 g protein; 2 g fiber; 170 mg sodium.

Sage Roasted Potato Wedges

Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes (10 minutes active)

Servings: 12

5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup minced fresh sage

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat the oven to 350 F. Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Use paper towels to pat the wedges dry, then transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle the potatoes with the olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the sage, salt and pepper. Toss until evenly coated. Arrange the wedges in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes, turning occasionally until the potatoes are evenly browned.

Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 250 calories; 40 calories from fat (17 percent of total calories); 5 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 49 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 5 g fiber; 340 mg sodium.

Sage Roasted Turkey and Gravy

Start to finish: 3 to 4 hours

Makes a 12- to 14-pound turkey with gravy

1 large yellow onion, cut into chunks

1 large carrot, cut into large chunks

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup minced fresh sage, plus 12 whole leaves

12- to 14-pound turkey

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups chicken or turkey broth

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Heat the oven to 350 F. Place the onion and carrot in the bottom of a large roasting pan. Fit the roasting pan with a rack.

In a small bowl, mix together the butter, salt, pepper and minced sage. Gently loosen the skin of the turkey and massage some of the butter under the skin on the breasts and legs of the turkey. Massage more of the butter on the interior of the cavity, as well as on the outside of the skin all over the bird.

Place the 12 whole sage leaves under the skin of the turkey in various spots. Place the turkey in the roasting pan on the rack, breast side up. Cover with foil and roast for 1 hour. Remove the foil and roast for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the breast meat reaches 160 F and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170 F.

Remove the rack and turkey from the roasting pan and cover with foil and a few kitchen towels to keep warm.

Remove and discard the onion and carrot pieces from the pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop (it may rest over more than one burner, if so, turn on both) and add the wine. Scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits, bring the juices to a simmer.

In a small bowl, whisk together the broth and flour. While stirring continuously, pour the broth mixture into the pan. Bring to a boil and stir for 3 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Strain the gravy, if desired. Serve alongside the turkey.

Nutrition information per serving (assumes 20 servings) (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 360 calories; 170 calories from fat (48 percent of total calories); 19 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 135 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrate; 43 g protein; 0 g fiber; 310 mg sodium.