Soft-Boiled Eggs, Sage Aioli & Fried Sage

Step 1

In a quart (liter) container or a preserving jar, blend the egg yolks and lemon juice with an immersion blender. Slowly drizzle in the sage oil, pulling the hand blender up and down slowly through the jar to emulsify. Season with salt and, if desired, use a tablespoon or two of water to thin the aioli.

Step 2

Have ready a medium bowl filled with ice water. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and lower the eggs one by one gently into the water. Set a timer for 6 minutes once the water comes back to a boil. Remove the eggs directly to the ice bath. Once cool, peel, dipping each egg into the water occasionally to rinse away any shell fragments, and set aside.

Step 3

Have ready a slotted spoon or a spider and a baking sheet lined with a wire cooling rack or a double layer of paper towels. Pour the grapeseed oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet and heat to 325°F (160°C). Place 8 to 10 sage leaves into the hot oil and cook until crisp, about 30 seconds. Remove them to the prepared sheet and repeat with the remaining sage leaves. Season the leaves with salt.

Step 4

To assemble: Slice the boiled eggs in half lengthwise. Place a dab of aioli on a platter beneath each egg half to keep them from sliding around. Season each egg half with crunchy salt and spoon a bit of aioli on each. Top each egg with a crispy fried sage leaf and a drizzle of olive oil.

Step 5

Have ready a medium bowl of ice water. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Submerge the sage leaves in the water and blanch just until they soften, about 15 seconds. Plunge into the ice bath and cool. When cool, squeeze the leaves well to dry, then chop coarsely.

Step 6

In a blender, puree the blanched sage with the grapeseed oil until very smooth. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve. The oil can be made up to 2 days ahead; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Let the oil come to room temperature before using.