495 bay leaf recipes

A traditional seasoning that is perfect for meats and vegetables.

Turkey stuffing soup made from the Thanksgiving carcass with leftover stuffing and gravy simmered into a rich, hearty broth. The best way to use every last bit of holiday turkey.

Traditional French farmhouse head cheese (fromage de tete): pork head simmered with vegetables, herbs, and aromatics, then molded with shallots and parsley into a sliceable charcuterie classic.

Polipi Veraci all'Aglio is Italian braised octopus with crushed garlic, cumin, bay leaf, and olive oil, slow-cooked in a sealed earthenware dish until tender. Finished with rosemary, parsley, and green pepper.

Saltsa Kima, the classic Greek meat sauce with ground beef, cinnamon, bay leaf, red wine, and tomatoes. Perfect over pastitsio, pasta, or moussaka.

Roasted mallard duck with turnips, basted in pan juices with a rosemary and bay leaf herb bouquet. Best served medium rare with pale rose juices.

Traditional turtle and ham soup simmered with cloves, bay leaf, thyme, garlic, and chopped lemon. A hearty Cajun-style wild game soup with deep, savory flavor.

Mushrooms and queen scallops in a silky cream sauce finished with tarragon vinegar and anchovy essence. A refined British appetizer served in scallop shells or a gratin dish.

Hickory-smoked leg of lamb rubbed with garlic, rosemary, vermouth, and olive oil. Low and slow on a water smoker for 4 to 6 hours until tender and smoky.

A light, brothy borscht of cabbage and beets simmered with carrot, celery, and tomato juice into a ruby-red, sweet-and-sour soup. Vegan, low in calories, and even better the next day.

Oven-braised pheasant with sauerkraut, bacon, juniper berries, and white wine. Legs slow-cooked until tender in the kraut, breasts roasted separately to keep them juicy.

Old-fashioned Dutch chicken noodle soup simmered from scratch for 3 hours with a whole chicken, carrots, onion, and bay leaf. Simple, honest, and soul-warming.

Shrimp and crab enchiladas: corn tortillas filled with a simple bay-poached shrimp and crab meat mixture. A light seafood filling for a crowd of 20 enchiladas.

Greek lamb souvlaki with leg of lamb, sweetbreads, and kidneys marinated in olive oil, lemon, wine, and herbs, then grilled on skewers with bay leaves and vegetables. An authentic taverna-style feast.

Portuguese style goat, a leg of kid rubbed with a garlic, paprika, bay, and pancetta paste, then roasted until tender and served with rice. A rustic, deeply seasoned Portuguese roast.

Neil Perry's Rockpool Coffin Bay scallops with braised capsicum and tomatoes: pan-seared scallops on a blanched pepper-tomato base, crisped herbs, and lemon-olive oil pan dressing.