Why it works: Chicken and turkey work together. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 688 recipes. Both carry (z)-4-decenal, which smells green, must. The science ↓
Turkey Divan
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare
Microwave broccoli according to package and drain well, then set aside.
Microwave butter on high for 45 seconds, then stir in flour and blend well.
Stir in water with bouillon, cream and nutmeg and microwave on medium until thick.
Stir in parmesan cheese, then set aside.
Assemble and bake
Arrange turkey in bottom of square microwavable dish, then put thin layer of cream sauce over top.
Place broccoli on top of turkey and top with remaining sauce.
Microwave on high for 6 minutes, then garnish with paprika.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 7 of 8 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 7 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Chicken | 100g cooked | 165 |
| Parmesan Cheese | 1 oz (28g) | 110 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Broccoli | 1 cup chopped (156g) | 55 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Water | 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.
-
Chicken + turkeytop 7% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together688 recipes
Shared aroma: (z)-4-decenal (green, must).
-
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).
-
Butter + parmesan cheesetop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together4,163 recipes
Shared aroma: guaiacol (smoky, sweet).
-
Nutmeg + broccolitop 10% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together220 recipes
Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Smoked turkey breast
- Provides the main protein and savory, smoky flavor of the dish.
- Butter
- Adds fat and richness, and forms the base of the roux with flour.
- Flour
- Thickens the sauce by binding with melted butter and water as it cooks.
- Heavy cream
- Adds richness and body to the sauce, giving it a smooth, creamy texture.
- Parmesan cheese
- Adds salty, savory depth and helps thicken and flavor the sauce.
- Broccoli
- Adds vegetable bulk and a mild, slightly bitter contrast to the rich sauce.
The step that matters
Thickening the sauce. Flour must be fully blended into the melted butter before liquid is added, otherwise lumps form. Heating the mixture until thick lets the starch swell and gelatinize, giving the sauce its body.
Swap the broccoli
How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (butter, flour, chicken, cream, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, turkey):
- Spinachfits better
- Potatofits better
- Asparagusfits better
- Broccolithe original
Fit is the average pairing score against butter, flour, chicken, cream, nutmeg, parmesan cheese, turkey. 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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