I hate garnish. Half the time, you can't eat it, and the other half, it has nothing to do with the dish (um, helloooooo random orange slice and parsley sprig at every. diner. ever). But frizzled herbs get a pass from me. They look absolutely stunning, and you KNOW you've got leftover sprigs from that pack of thyme you bought for a recipe that only called for a teaspoon of thyme.
My only caveat for this recipe is that it CAN be slightly dangerous: when water and hot oil mix, spitting and even fire can be the result, and some herbs have a pretty high water content, like sage. Make sure you're covered up with old clothes (that can be stained with oil), and be prepared to work fast: these herbs frizzle up in just a few seconds, then need to be transferred to a paper towel-lined plate to drain off the excess oil. Keep an eye on the heat of your oil...if it's shimmering, it's too hot.
Basically, you should absolutely try this, just be more careful than you'd usually be.
FRIZZLED HERBS
1 c neutral oil, such as grapeseed, canola, etc
as needed fresh herbs, such as sage, thyme, rosemary, etc
Add oil to a small skillet, and heat over medium high heat. Prepare a plate with a few paper towels on for draining the herbs.
When the oil is nice and hot, lower the heat slightly and carefully drop a few herbs in a time, allowing to fry for just a few seconds, and then use tongs to remove them from the oil onto the paper towel-lined plate. Use for garnish!
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