How to use laurel in the kitchen, recipes and advice

Once widespread for healing purposes, today more appreciated as an aromatic plant, laurel is an herb perfect to use in the kitchen. The leaves can be plucked in any season of the year and are used fresh, dried or pulverized. They are coriaceous therefore hard to cook and for this reason they keep the flavor excellently even in the high temperatures of the oven.

The strong taste of laurel accompanies many different dishes, from soups to meats, especially fatty ones. It also goes well with fish and certainly does not look bad with desserts. So here’s how you can use laurel in the kitchen and how to benefit from it.

How to use bay leaf at home

Laurel is an evergreen Mediterranean plant, simple to grow both in the garden and on the balcony. It resists low temperatures well and you can benefit from its benefits all year round. In the kitchen it lends itself to various preparations.

Of the laurel we use the pecks but above all the leaves. These if fresh have a strong and strong aroma, dried or powdered they are more delicate. If well preserved, bay leaves can stay in the cupboard for up to six or seven months, after which they slowly lose all their fragrance.

Can you use fresh bay leaf?

According to one popular belief bay leaves eaten fresh would be toxic. But this is just a belief. In reality they are often used fresh and, thanks to the essential oil they contain, too chew bay leaves brings benefits to the body.

The fresh leaves are non-toxic

This misunderstanding arises from past experience. A few generations ago laurel was a very common plant along our peninsula and easily available. Laurel hedges and branches they were found almost everywhere and the cultivation of the plant for food purposes was not too widespread. In fact, picking laurel branches among the hedges hasn’t been too rare oleander leaf poisoninga highly toxic plant.

In truth, the oleander has darker and more elongated leaves than the laurel and with a little attention, distinguishing it is not a problem. However, to avoid confusion many prefer to use only the dried leaves, but laurel is not a poisonous plant. For those who are sure they can harvest it correctly or for those who want to grow it at home, the consumption of fresh leaves is considered safe.

What can be done with laurel

In the kitchen, laurel is used in many ways. Flavors vegetables beautifully and is used for example with the baked pumpkin. It goes well in legume soups, broths, soups and risottos – see a risotto with pears, walnuts and laurel powder! Even a baked fish flavored with bay leaf and potatoes shouldn’t be bad and less known, but just as tasty, it’s the marriage ofbay leaf i with prawns and crustaceans in general.

Cooking with meat, on the other hand, is known history. Bay leaves have digestive properties, with beneficial effects on the stomach and intestines, and are perfectly balanced with fatty meats and roasts. He is loved with the gameenhances the cooking of sheep skewers and kebabs. And in a pan with chicken, lemon and oranges, this magnificent aromatic herb is able to enhance even more delicately flavored meats.

The use of laurel in desserts is another chapter!