Why it works: Lemon and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 5% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 5,154 recipes. Both carry beta-phellandrene, which smells minty, terpene. The science ↓
Broccoli in Lemon Sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the broccoli
Cook broccoli in a shallow, heat-resistant, non-metallic, 1 ½-quart baking dish. Drain and set aside.
Make the lemon sauce
In a small, heat-resistant, non-metallic bowl melt butter or margarine in a microwave oven for 30 seconds.
Blend in flour with a fork until smooth.
Gradually stir in milk.
Heat, uncovered, in a microwave oven for 1 minute or until thickened and smooth.
Gradually stir in lemon peel and juice so that the mixture does not curdle.
Stir in salt and ginger until well blended.
Serve
Spoon sauce over drained broccoli spears.
Heat, uncovered, in a microwave oven for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Broccoli | 1 cup chopped (156g) | 55 |
| Lemon | juice of 1 lemon (48ml) | 12 |
| Ginger | 1 tsp grated fresh (2g) | 2 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 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.
-
Lemon + gingertop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together5,154 recipes
Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).
-
Broccoli + lemontop 5% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together809 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Broccoli + gingertop 6% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together652 recipes
Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).
-
Butter + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Broccoli + flourtop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Frozen broccoli spears
- Provides the main vegetable, which is cooked and then coated with the sauce.
- Butter or margarine
- Melts to form the fat base that carries the flour into the sauce.
- Flour
- Thickens the milk into a smooth, cohesive sauce as it heats.
- Milk
- Forms the liquid base of the sauce, giving it a creamy texture.
- Lemon peel
- Adds bright aromatic lemon flavour to the sauce.
- Lemon juice
- Adds acidity that gives the sauce a tangy, sharp taste.
The step that matters
Adding the lemon peel and juice. Acid added to a hot milk-and-flour sauce can cause it to curdle or separate. Stirring the lemon in gradually keeps the sauce smooth and well combined.
Swap the ginger
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (broccoli, butter, flour, milk, lemon):
- Parsleyfits better
- Cinnamonfits better
- Capersfits better
- Gingerthe original
Fit is the average pairing score against broccoli, butter, flour, milk, lemon. 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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