Name: PotreD Veal
Ingredients: 3.5 pounds raw leg of veal, chopped fine; 1 heaping tablespoon coarse sea salt; 1 tablespoon black pepper; 8 tablespoons butter crackers, pounded; 3 tablespoons cream or milk; 1 piece of butter the size of an egg; 2 eggs; 1 grated nutmeg

Why it works: Pepper and nutmeg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 13,015 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓

PotreD Veal

Oven, in the book's wordsA very slow oven

Ingredients

3.5 pounds raw leg of veal, chopped fine
1 heaping tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
8 tablespoons butter crackers, pounded
3 tablespoons cream or milk
1 piece of butter the size of an egg
2 eggs
1 grated nutmeg

Directions

The book says “a very slow oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.

Prepare

Mold the chopped veal into a loaf.
In a bowl, combine salt, black pepper, pounded butter crackers, cream or milk, butter, eggs, and nutmeg.

Bake

Place the mixture in a buttered pan with a little water.
Sprinkle more butter and powdered cracker on top.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 2 hours.

Serve

Serve cold.

Recipe from a historical cookbook (Internet Archive).

Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Pepper + nutmegtop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together13,015 recipes

Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together41,516 recipes

Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
Cream + nutmegtop 13% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together7,920 recipes

Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Butter + nutmegtop 16% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together24,377 recipes

Shared aroma: eucalyptol (eucalyptus, herbal).
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together118,967 recipes

Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Veal: Provides the main body and meaty structure of the loaf.
Eggs: Bind the meat and seasonings so the loaf holds its shape when sliced.
Butter crackers: Absorb moisture and add starch that helps the loaf stay tender and hold together.
Cream or milk: Adds moisture, keeping the loaf from drying out during baking.
Butter: Adds fat for richness and a softer, moister texture.