A Bay substitution?
This question has been plaguing me for years, and I keep forgetting to post here.
My best friend is allergic to bay leaves. Should I just leave it out? (I usually do.) Or is there some substitution for the flavor?
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9 Comments:
I avoided bay leaves for many years, probably because I picked up on my mother's aversion to them. She was always so worried that she'd forget to take them out and somebody would choke to death, and I guess I picked up a fear of them.
Now I use them, but I guess what I'm saying is that you can leave them out and it shouldn't be a big problem. If it's the only spice in a dish (and I can't really imagine that) I'd say that you could substitute any herb that you like the flavor of. Usually, though, bay is one of many, so you could simply leave it out.
dbcurrie at 12:24AM on 08/01/08
I think you could use another leaf herb. It is all about taste. I use bay leaf in all beef dishes that are braised or soup. It is all about layers of flavor. Find out if your friend is allergic to other leaf herbs. Bay laurel is a tree. Try a plant herb if she is not allergic.
JerzeeTomato at 12:42AM on 08/01/08
Weird timing as I read something along the same lines a little while ago.
http://www.americastestkitchen.com/ibb/posts.aspx?postID=174634
I thought allspice berries like one of the other commentors suggested and then someone brought up labrador tea.
I'm not familiar with Labrador Tea, but if it's from the Laurel family your friend may still be allergic to it.
I think appropriate substitions for bay leaves depend on the dish. For instance my mom makes an amazing turkey pot pie with the leftover turkey carcass from Thankgiving. The the only herb she uses in her recipe is bay leaf, but I suspect thyme would be a good substitute in that dish.
And like dbcurrie said, if there are a bunch of other herbs and spices in a particular dish, leaving out the bay leaf won't make huge difference in flavor.
wookie at 12:48AM on 08/01/08
Thanks guys. Yeah, it's usually a braise or something that has lots of other flavors. I just didn't know if I was missing some amazing flavor layer that could somehow be replicated.
amanda0730 at 1:37AM on 08/01/08
Though, now that I read the article, a combo of allspice and thyme might work in a pinch. I may try it in the next dish I make....assuming I'm not serving it to a bunch of people. :)
Allspice would give the spicyness, and thyme the herbal, woody note. Hmm......
amanda0730 at 1:43AM on 08/01/08
winter savory
cucinacecilia at 9:53AM on 08/01/08
@amanda, you'd probably be best off just eliminating it rather than trying to recreate it with other flavors. To me, the flavor is very subtle in most dishes, so it's not like you're taking the basil out of a pesto.
If it is a dish with JUST bay, you could use just about anything else you like. You don't need to recreate the flavor, you just need to choose a flavor that you like.
And by the way, if this is a bad allergy, be careful if you serve your friend any jarred pickles. Bay is a very common ingredient in pickles and in pickling mixes. It's also very common in the spice mix that's used when cooking corned beef.
dbcurrie at 1:36PM on 08/01/08
Thanks, currie! Pickle thing isn't a problem, since he despises pickles. I'll just continue to leave them out. Dishes end up tasty anyways. :)
amanda0730 at 2:01PM on 08/01/08
Again, winter savory
cucinacecilia at 11:52PM on 08/02/08