Therearemanyrecipesthat host the bay leaf as a supporting herb, so I thought I would introduce you to this unique herb. The bay leaf is an aromatic leaf commonly used in cooking. It can be used whole, and either dried or fresh.
Bay leaves come from various plants and are used for their distinctive flavor and fragrance. The most common source is the bay laurel, which, if eaten whole, are pungent and have a sharp, bitter taste.
As with many spices and flavorings, the fragrance of the bayleafismorenoticeablethan its taste. When the leaf is dried, the aroma is herbal, slightly floral, and somewhat like oregano and thyme. Myrcene, a component of many essential oils used in perfumery, can be extracted.
Bay leaves are used in various cuisines around the world, including Indian, Filipino, EuropeanandCaribbean.They are typically used in soups, stews, meat, seafood and vegetable dishes.
The leaves should be removed from the cooked food before eating as they can be abrasive, however, bay leaves are not toxic and can be eaten without harm. Yet, they remain stiff even after cooking andmayposeachokinghazard or cause harm to the digestive tract if swallowed whole or in large pieces.
Cooking with these leaves do have health benefits. They have antidiarrheal, anti-inflammatory, and antidiabetic benefits used for the improvement of the immune system. Antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and carotenoids are used in many dietary sources and are used to lower blood cholesterol and uric acid level. While it is highly used for savory dishes, here is cool way to utilize a great herb in a savory sweet dessert.
BAY LAUREL POUND CAKE 1stickplus1tablespoonbutter, sliced, at room temperature. 8-10smalltomedium-sizedbay leaves, fresh or dried 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup granulated sugar. 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon fine sea salt 3 eggs, at room temperature ½ cup sour cream Powdered sugar Melt six tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan. Take the pan off the heat and add three bay leaves. Let steep for one hour. Remove bay leaves and discard.
Preheatovento350degrees. Coat a standard loaf pan with some butter. Dust the pan evenly with flour and line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper.
Dab one side of the remaining bay leaves in a bit of butter and lay them evenly along the bottom of the loaf pan, buttered side down. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Combine the eggs, sour cream, and melted butter in a medium bowl.
Gently stir into the flour mixture just until the batter is smooth, without over-mixing. Scrape batter into the pan carefully over the bay leaves.
Put the remaining butter in a small zip-top bag and snip off one corner. Pipe the butter in a line down the center of the batter.
Bake 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centercomesoutclean.Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, then turn the cake out onto a rack to cool completely. Dust top with powdered sugar.