Why it works: Butter and milk are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 81,283 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-heptenal, which smells biscuit, cream. The science ↓
Turkey Tetrazzini
Ingredients
Directions
Make the sauce
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in flour, salt, and nutmeg until smooth. Gradually add milk and stock or broth; bring to boiling, stirring constantly; boil 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Using a wire whisk, beat the egg yolks in a small bowl with the cream. Beat in a little of the hot mixture. Pour back into saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce is hot—do not boil. Remove from heat. Stir in the sherry.
Assemble the casserole
Meanwhile, in a large stockpot, bring 6 quarts of water to boiling; add 2 tablespoons salt and the spaghetti; cook as label directs; drain in colander. Return spaghetti to kettle. Add 2 cups sauce; toss lightly until spaghetti and sauce are well combined.
Combine turkey and mushrooms in a large bowl. Add 2 cups of sauce to this mixture and mix well.
Divide the spaghetti in half and place in two 12 x 8 x 8.2-inch baking dishes, arranging around the edges. Spoon half of the turkey mixture into the center of each dish. Reserve rest of sauce for later use. Sprinkle cheese over spaghetti in each dish. Cover with foil; refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.
Bake and serve
About 1 hour before serving, preheat oven to 350°F. Bake, covered, 45 minutes. Reheat sauce; spoon over spaghetti in each dish.
To freeze: Line one of the baking dishes with foil; assemble casserole as directed. Fold foil over to seal; freeze right in the dish. When frozen, lift out foil; remove dish from freezer. To serve: Unwrap, return to casserole dish and let stand 1 hour to thaw. Bake, covered for 1 hour at 350°F or until bubbly.
Make the turkey stock
To make turkey stock: Break up carcass. Place in a stock pot with 3 cups water, 3 parsley sprigs, 2 carrots (pared and halved), 3 celery tops, 2 onions (halved), 2 teaspoons salt, 10 black peppercorns, 1 bay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, covered, 2 hours. Strain. Boil gently, uncovered, to reduce stock to 2 cups. This may be done ahead.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 11 of 12 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 11 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Milk | 1 cup (244ml) whole | 149 |
| Cheddar Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 113 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Wine | 2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml) | 25 |
| Mushroom | 1/2 cup sliced (35g) | 15 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Sauce | 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 + milktop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together81,283 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-heptenal (biscuit, cream).
-
Butter + creamtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Flour + nutmegtop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together18,623 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
-
Sauce + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,787 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
-
Butter + flourtop 12% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together124,287 recipes
Shared aroma: isobutyraldehyde (malty, green).
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
- Butter
- Enriches the sauce and carries flavor while building its base with flour.
- Flour
- Thickens the milk and broth into a smooth, cohesive white sauce.
- Egg yolks
- Enrich and thicken the sauce, giving it body and a silky texture when gently heated.
- Heavy cream
- Adds richness and a smooth, velvety texture to the sauce.
- Spaghetti
- Forms the base of the casserole, holding the sauce and turkey mixture together.
- Cheddar cheese
- Melts over the casserole and browns in the oven, adding savory flavor and a golden top.
The step that matters
Heating the egg yolk sauce. Egg yolks thicken by gentle heat, but boiling can scramble them and leave the sauce grainy. Keep it hot and stirred, never boiling.
“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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