Benefits Of Bay Leaves In Cooking

That said, not all bay leaves are created equally. Fresh bay leaves, which you can sometimes find in the produce section of the grocery store alongside the other fresh herbs, are going to be a lot more pungent than the dried ones you'll find in the aisle with all the spices. And the dried ones you'll find at the store are probably going to be a whole lot more flavorful than the five-year-old ones that are kicking around in your spice drawer. The moral of this story? If a recipe calls for dried bay leaves, and you happen upon some freshies, you can use fewer of them and get the same impact. That, and if you can't remember when you bought the jar you have at home right now, go ahead and throw those guys out and buy some new ones—they aren't going to taste like much, and we don't need them giving the elegant bay leaf a bad name.

People are stubborn. We are too. If you still have your doubts, take some (not ancient) bay leaves and boil them in a bit of water. Let the water cool, remove the bay leaves, and take a sip of that brew. You'll get that bay leaf flavor. And guess what. That flavor doesn't go away when the water changes to stock or broth. Just because you can't see the foundation of a building, doesn't mean it isn't there. Same goes for bay leaves. But don't try to build a skyscraper on a foundation of herbs. That won't work.

Now that you're a believer, let's make some chicken adobo:

This image may contain Dish Food Meal and Plant

Easiest Chicken Adobo

We get that sweet, salty, tangy, garlicky chicken adobo flavor with minimal effort. Lazy folks, rejoice!

View Recipe