Why it works: Butter and mushroom are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 12,525 recipes. Both carry trans-2-decenal, which smells waxy, orange. The science ↓
Veal Soup with Madeira and Mushrooms
Ingredients
Directions
Make the soup
Melt butter over moderate heat. When foam subsides, reduce heat to low and add mushrooms.
Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in flour over moderate heat.
Gradually add veal stock, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Stir in salt, chervil, and cream.
Finish and serve
Pour into a warm tureen.
Stir in Madeira and serve immediately.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 5 of 7 ingredients. The other 2 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 5 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Veal | not in our table | 0 |
| Chervil | not in our table | 0 |
One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.
Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.
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.
-
Butter + mushroomtop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together12,525 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-decenal (waxy, orange).
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Flour + cherviltop 8% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together232 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Mushroom + cherviltop 13% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together141 recipes
Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).
Butter and flour barely smell alike, yet cooks put them together in 124,287 recipes: they work on texture and structure more than aroma.
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Mushroom
- Provides the main earthy flavor and body of the soup as they soften and release their liquid.
- Flour
- Thickens the butter and mushroom mixture into a smooth base that gives the stock body.
- Veal stock
- Forms the liquid base of the soup and carries the savory meaty flavor.
- Heavy cream
- Adds richness and a smooth, velvety texture to the soup.
- Madeira
- Adds a sweet, aromatic, wine-like note to finish the soup.
The step that matters
Stir in flour over moderate heat. Cooking the flour briefly in the butter and mushroom fat removes its raw taste and helps it thicken evenly. Adding stock too quickly can cause lumps, so stir constantly while adding it.
Swap the chervil
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, mushroom, flour, veal, cream):
- Nutmegfits better
- Capersfits about as well
- Thymefits about as well
- Chervilthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, mushroom, flour, veal, cream. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.
“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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