Bay leaf

[Teawaster]

What is the point of them? I have never ever said, after not having one to put in a dish that required one, 'Oh that dish really missed a bay leaf'.
Am I missing something?

I think it adds a kind of savoury floral smell more than anything else. I made pork with bay leaves and milk and it definitely didn't taste just like milk, the bay added...something...but you're right, it's a very hard taste to identify!!

If you are, then I am too.
I think the flavour is, er, subtle at best. And vanishes unless absolutely fresh. Most of the ones on sale are dried, I believe...

I love them in the milk for a bechamel sauce and I do miss them but I can't really describe it in words.

I've had fresh and dried, even have a tree with them and can't detect anything at all.

I have made bechamel sauce both with and without bay leaves.
If i want to flavour it reasonably assertively I add whole peppercorns and a raw onion studded with a few cloves. (All later sieved out.)

And as for putting them in a curry! Pointless.

I use fresh, they add depth of flavour. No bechamel should be without a bay leaf, an onion peppercorns and a pinch of nutmeg according to my mother.

We have a bay Bush so always use it fresh. It has a lovely clean aroma. Fresh, it is lovely put on skewers between prawns for grilling.

We did a slow roast lamb encased in branches of bay (we were pruning at the time). It was lovely and the smell when roasting was amazing. The same works with rosemary pruning.

I once followed a tip to put one or two in a jar of caster sugar, like a vanilla pod. No discernible difference to un-bayleafed sugar.

French onion soup definitely needs a baby leaf.

Here’s an interesting article on bay leaves. They aren’t like coriander in that the flavour is forward and punchy and immediately identifiable. But they do add a subtle complexity to the background of dishes. I have a bay tree so I’m happy to use them for the subtle flavour frequently as it’s free, but I used them less frequently when I had to buy them.

When a recipe calls for one bay leaf I generally add (quite) a few.

Ethan is one of my favourite cooking YouTubers and has made a great video on them.

@SummaLuvin , that's interesting.
I may continue adding them.

Roasted tomatoes in bay are one of life's great pleasures! Agree with PP that they're better fresh.

Are you using them correctly? I put about 7 largish ones in a casserole and I scrunch them up before I put them in so the flavour comes out. Also don't use the young soft ones if you have a tree/bush. Medium size ones are best.

I don't think the young ones have developed the flavour and the very old ones are leathery

Bay leaves are sometimes used when cooking rice in Asian food. Are you thinking of curry leaves?

Interesting, we had a bay tree which we had to leave at our old house because the pot was too heavy. I used it all the time for cooking and definitely missed not being able to use the leaves until we replaced it.

I like them if fresh, it’s like celery in stock, you can’t taste it but it adds depth.

When a recipe calls for one bay leaf I generally add (quite) a few.
Me too, and you need to put a few tears (rips not crying) in them.

I've got a tree but was always told NOT to use fresh leaves because of excess bitterness. I harvest continually throughout the year, dry them and use soonish. Interesting to hear about others' experiences.

I always make my Bolognase in the slow cooker and always add 3 dried Bay leaves. It gives it a certain flavour, although difficult to describe and is subtle but also gives off the most amazing smell as it's cooking.

I really notice them when they are not used as opposed to when they are.

@TolkiensFallow , I like the flavour of celery in things . I find that more detectable than a bay leaf.
I think I must not have a very refined palate although maybe I hold on to a packet of dried ones for too long