Bay leaf

About

Leaves of the European bay tree, Laurus nobilis, bring a warm, restrained mix of herb and spice flavor to savory cooking wherever the plant grows. Before vanilla became widespread, bay was also used in custards and milk puddings, and it still appears in stone-fruit preserves and dried-fruit compotes. In the US, Laurus nobilis is sold as Turkish bay to distinguish it from California laurel, a less-favored variety with a strong medicinal, eucalyptus-like flavor. West Indian bay comes from the allspice tree rather than true bay.

Pairs well with bay leaf

• EaPotatoA bay leaf or two simmered with potatoes subtly improves their flavor, an effect that becomes more pronounced after the potatoes have sat…
• CiOrangeFood writer Patience Gray added a bay leaf to jars of orange marmalade, giving the preserve extra bitterness and complexity.
• SuGarlicFood writer Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall recommends frying mackerel fillets with fresh bay leaves and garlic, noting that a distinct new…
• SpCinnamonIndian bay, or tejpat (from Cinnamomum tamala, a relative of the tree that also produces cassia), resembles European bay leaf in shape but…
• WoCarrotIn a mirepoix of carrot, onion and celery, bay leaf contributes bitterness and spice; fresh bay leaf can also substitute for some of…
• SpPeppercornBay leaf and peppercorn typically play a subtle, background role, adding depth to a stock without standing out -- except in Filipino…
• GrParsleyParsley, bay leaf and thyme form the classic bouquet garni for French stews and braises.
• FrPlumTrue culinary bay (Laurus nobilis) has a warm, nutmeg-like flavor well suited to plum preserves, pickled peaches or plum compote, where it…
• GrFennelFennel fronds, bay leaf and lemon zest make a fragrant bouquet garni for seafood, and the same combination can flavor a dried-fruit…
• EaLentilA basic lentil soup, side or salad is built from diced onion, carrot and celery softened with a bay leaf, then simmered with lentils and…
• CrPruneBay leaf was once common in sweet dishes like rice pudding, a use that survives mainly in prune compote, where bay's spicy, nutmeg-like…
• SpAllspiceAllspice leaves and European bay leaves share a similar, though milder, fragrance and are used interchangeably in cooking.
• EaBlack beanBay leaf adds herbal, spicy depth to black beans, as in the Cuban dish frijoles negros, typically cooked with green bell pepper, onion and…
• WoCashewBay leaf lends a pate-like character to a vegan cashew spread: cashews are soaked with bay leaves, then blended with a reduced shallot,…
• BeGooseberryBay leaf amplifies the herbal note that emerges in cooked gooseberries; a compote simmers berries with sugar and bay leaves (removed after…