Do you use bay leaves?

[MrsDangermouse]

Actually, I have always heard that bay leaves don't develop their full flavor until weeks after they are picked and have dried. I would expect that flavor to diminish over an extended amount of time -- like months.

CD

Hmm - I will have to pick a few and set aside to compare. I haven't found he dried bay I've used in the past to be anywhere near as good as fresh.

My experience is the same as Morning Glory - the leaves I pick fresh from the tree always impart more flavour to a dish than dried ones. I thought it was the oils in the leaves that contain most of the flavour - which is why its sometimes suggested to bruise the leaves.

 

[Morning Glory]

which is why its sometimes suggested to bruise the leaves.

I generally fold them a bit to break slightly - I'll try bruising. In a pestle & mortar?

 

[MrsDangermouse]

I generally fold them a bit to break slightly - I'll try bruising. In a pestle & mortar?

No, I just fold/screw them up a bit and rub them between my hands - sounds pretty similar to what you already do

 

[rascal]

How do you do that? What sort of pâté?

Chicken liver pate.
Livers butter garlic thyme bay leaves pepper Cointreau. And cream.
If interested I can work out quantities, I go by memory.
It's dam good.
Russ

 

[Yorky]

I use one when cooking yellow rice and occasionally put one in a stew. That adds up to about 60 or so in a year.

It'll take a few years to use all these.....

Bayleaf s.jpg

• Yorky
• 12 Nov 2020

 

[Morning Glory]

Chicken liver pate.
Livers butter garlic thyme bay leaves pepper Cointreau. And cream.
If interested I can work out quantities, I go by memory.
It's dam good.
Russ

I was wondering how you used the bay. Are you mincing it up or something?

 

[flyinglentris]

Bay leaves are usually removed after cooking or left as a garnish, which is not eaten. Ground Bay Leaf intensifies the flavor of Bay Leaf and of course, is not removed and is consumed. I use Ground Bay Leaf and whole Bay Leaf both. Bay Leaves are more often used in meals with a liquid character like Soups or Stews, else their effects are limited and to that end, a visual Garnish only. Ground Bay Leaf has a wider range of applicability.

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Chicken liver pate.
Livers butter garlic thyme bay leaves pepper Cointreau. And cream.
If interested I can work out quantities, I go by memory.
It's dam good.
Russ

Yes...please do. And are you using fresh or dried leaves?

 

[ElizabethB]

Chicken liver pate.
Livers butter garlic thyme bay leaves pepper Cointreau. And cream.
If interested I can work out quantities, I go by memory.
It's dam good.
Russ

I would be interested in more detail. I love chicken liver pate.

 

[rascal]

I was wondering how you used the bay. Are you mincing it up or something?

I put it in when cooking the livers then I whizz it all up.

Recipe to,follow.

Russ

 

[rascal]

Yes...please do. And are you using fresh or dried leaves?

Here is the recipe: Recipe - Chicken Liver Pâté

 

[rascal]

Maybe less thyme , it can overtake the taste.

Russ

 

[rascal]

Yes...please do. And are you using fresh or dried leaves?

Dried

 

[Mountain Cat]

I used bay leaves for years and years, and once I even grew a potted bay leaf plant.

However, for whatever reason, I cannot taste any flavor they impart to my meals, so I've since ceased buying or using them. A waste of my time?

 

[Morning Glory]

However, for whatever reason, I cannot taste any flavor they impart to my meals, so I've since ceased buying or using them. A waste of my time?

I've three pots of bay growing in the garden. I love bay leaves and most definitely can taste them. They contain the compound eugenol which is also found in cloves and allspice berries (markedy so in both), basil, some fruit such as peaches and tomatoes, smoked foods, and also in barrel aged wines.

see below for a taste test:

Here's an easy way to see what bay leaves really taste like: throw a couple in a pot of water and let it simmer. Taste it after five minutes and you'll probably get a good hit of menthol and eucalyptus (think: Vick's VapoRub). That's the chemical eugenol you're smelling, and it's the biggest constituent in the bay leaf's flavor arsenal of more than 50 compounds.

Let them simmer for longer as they would in a stew—say, an hour or so—and you'll notice that the flavor and aroma will change. The harsh nose-clearing menthol will taper down, while more complex tea-like aromas will start to come forward. Those are the flavors you're looking to add to your soups, stews, and sauces.

What's the Point of Bay Leaves? | Ask The Food Lab