What effect have bay leaves in a meat/tomato sauce?
A bolognese-type sauce recipe I usually do uses ground beef, canned tomatoes, onions, carrots, chilli, garlic and bay leaf. The bay leaf gets cooked with the rest for a while and the sauce tastes wrong if I forget to put it in.
Now my question is, does the bay leaf do anything specific, like sugar counters the acid from tomatoes, or is it purely that the taste becomes unfamiliar and thus feels incorrect?
Best Answer
It doesn't do anything, it's your second suggestion.
The feeling of "right/wrong" and "like/dislike" is highly correlated with familiarity. This is proven not only by psychometry, but even physiologically, with fMRI scans. People like most whatever they are familiar with, up to the point that unfamiliar things seem wrong. This applies not only to bay leaves, but also to all other tastes (or taste combinations) and many other areas of life, even beyond sensory perception.
You can teach yourself to like bay-leaf-less sauce too, by just eating it frequently enough that it becomes familiar. But I don't see any advantages in doing so. Just cook with bay leaf and enjoy it.
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Quick Answer about "What effect have bay leaves in a meat/tomato sauce?"
As the leaf cooks in a high-moisture meal (like spaghetti sauce), the heat will help break down the leaf's properties and release some of those hidden flavors within. In essence, like other herbs, bay leaf is a flavor enhancer and, essentially, a quick, easy way to round out a homey dish.Should I add bay leaf to tomato sauce?
Bay Leaf: A bay leaf in spaghetti sauce adds a nice, savory flavor. Seasonings: I just use salt and a bit of crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat.What is the purpose of a bay leaf when cooking?
When the herb is infused into water, broth, or another cooking liquid, an almost minty flavor (somewhere between spearmint and menthol) develops, with subtle hints of black pepper and Christmas tree pine. They add a subtle bitterness that keeps heavy soups and stews from being so, well, heavy.Does bay leaf tenderize meat?
Turns out, there's quite a bit to know! Bay leaves also contain a number of enzymes that aid in breaking down certain proteins in beans and meat, making them easier to digest and reducing the gas-inducing effects of beans, so definitely add bay to that bean pot!Do Bay Leaves Do Anything???? Yes!!! All About Bay Leaves - Glen And Friends Cooking
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Answer 2
I've never used bay leaves for a tomato sauce so I'm not sure but, for example, basil reduces the acidity of the tomato.
It is possible that bay leaves have a similar effect.
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