This well-known kitchen trick uses the combination of an onion studded with a bay leaf and cloves (called oignon clouté in classic French cuisine) to effortlessly give sauces, soups, and stews a deep, well-rounded flavor.

Here’s how the pro trick works:

Preparation: Take a peeled, halved onion, place one or two bay leaves on it, and secure them with two to three whole cloves, like thumbtacks.

The process: Simply add the studded onion to the pot while simmering soups, broths, béchamel sauce, red cabbage, or braised dishes.

No more searching: After cooking, the onion is removed whole. The annoying search for individual cloves or bay leaves in the finished dish is completely eliminated.

Why this combination is perfect: The essential oils of the bay leaf blend ideally with the sweetness of the onion and the spicy pungency of the clove during the slow cooking process. The result is a delicate, balanced flavor base, without any single spice overpowering the other.