Made from the young tender leaves of a black walnut tree, bay sauce is often described as a predecessor to worcestershire. Read on for a bay sauce recipe from Jeremiah Langhorne, chef and owner of The Dabney and Petite Cerise in Washington, D.C.
Black Walnut Bay Sauce
1,500 grams very young/fresh black walnut leaves
200 grams JQ Dickinson Cooking Salt
1,000 grams onions, roughly chopped
200 grams wild horseradish, grated
120 grams wild (or powdered, if not available) ginger
75 grams garlic, peeled and minced
Apple cider vinegar, to cover
Optional:
40 grams allspice, ground
30 grams cloves, ground
30 grams black pepper, ground
To begin, sterilize a 2 gallon glass jar. Chop young black walnut leaves, and mix all ingredients except vinegar and walnut leaves together. Spread a half-inch thick layer of walnut leaves on the bottom of the jar. Layer spice mixture on top of the leaves. Repeat layering leaves and spices until all ingredients are gone, creating three to four layers. Cover the top layer with vinegar completely.
Wrap the top of the container with Saran wrap. Leave the container outside in an area that gets a good amount of sunlight for 12–21 days. Then, pull from outside, strain, can, and place sauce in a dark area for four to six months.
This is web-exclusive content from the December 2024 issue.
