BAY has a peculiarly complex scent and flavour. There's a wonderful piney, sweet spiciness-a warm coming together of citrus, rose, cola, cardamom, nutmeg, vanilla and pine together with a fruit-wood smokiness that's stronger in the dried leaves. There's more than a little cola about the scent: even now, if I rub a soft, supple bay leaf in summer, it reminds me of the taste of the soft, sugary cola-bottle sweets I so often spent my dinner money on.
Unless you're drying the leaves to reduce to a powder, it's rare to actually eat bay; not only is its texture unwelcome, the leaf itself is bitter. Thankfully, infused in dairy, oil or water, it imparts only its best qualities and, despite its flavour being very present, it is a gentle herb. With all this welcome complexity, bay unsurprisingly suits both warm months and cold, both savoury and sweet recipes; you could argue it is the most versatile herb, yet it is perhaps underused beyond cooking fish or making a soup or stew. Try a leaf or two in the milk for rice pudding or panna cotta if you fancy exploring its sweet potential.
Denne historien er fra December 06, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra December 06, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
