Why it works: Anchovy and egg match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and 2,268 recipes mention both. Both carry 1-octen-3-ol, which smells mushroom, earthy. The science ↓
Scotch Woodcock
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the toast
Prepare hot buttered toast.
Place one anchovy on each slice of toast.
Make the cream mixture
Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs in a bowl.
Beat the egg yolks and stir in the cream.
Heat the mixture in a saucepan until it reaches a boil.
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.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much aroma chemistry they share, and how many recipes mention both.
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Anchovy + eggtop 5% of all pairsAroma overlapstrongMentioned together2,268 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom, earthy).
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Anchovy + creamtop 10% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together795 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Cream + eggtop 12% of all pairsAroma overlapmoderateMentioned together41,958 recipes
Shared aroma: acetic acid (sour, vinegar).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Egg yolks
- Their proteins thicken the cream as it heats, giving the mixture body.
- Cream
- Adds richness and a smooth, silky texture to the mixture.
- Anchovies (in the method)
- Contribute a salty, savoury flavour to the toast.
The step that matters
Heating the cream and yolk mixture. Egg yolks thicken gently over moderate heat, but they can curdle or scramble if overheated. Watch the mixture closely as it nears the boil and keep it moving.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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