Why it works: Cream and butter are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 8% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 41,516 recipes. Both carry delta-dodecalactone, which smells sweet, creamy. The science ↓
Veal Loaf
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the loaf
Chop three pounds of raw veal very finely.
Add butter the size of an egg.
Add three eggs.
Add three tablespoonfuls of cream or milk; if using milk, add a small piece of butter.
Mix eggs and cream together.
Mix with veal, six crackers crushed fine, one-half teaspoonful black pepper, one large tablespoonful salt, and one large tablespoonful sage.
Mix well together and form into a loaf.
Bake and serve
Bake for three hours in a moderate oven, basting with butter and water while baking.
Serve cut in slices.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
Counts 6 of 7 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.
What these numbers assume: 6 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Flour | 1 cup (125g) all-purpose | 455 |
| Butter | 1 tbsp (14g) | 102 |
| Egg | 1 large egg (50g) | 78 |
| Cream | 1 tbsp (15ml) heavy | 51 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
| Salt | 1 tsp (6g) | 0 |
| Veal | 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.
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. See the original page.
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.
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Cream + buttertop 8% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together41,516 recipes
Shared aroma: delta-dodecalactone (sweet, creamy).
-
Butter + eggtop 17% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together118,967 recipes
Shared aroma: decanal (soap, orange peel).
-
Veal + peppertop 19% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together10,049 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-nonenal (fatty, green).
-
Butter + peppertop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together85,593 recipes
Shared aroma: trans-2-nonenal (cardboard, fatty).
-
Veal + buttertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together9,381 recipes
Shared aroma: 3-hexenal (apple, fruity).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Veal
- Forms the main body of the loaf, giving it substance and a firm, sliceable structure.
- Eggs
- Bind the chopped meat together and help the loaf hold its shape when baked.
- Cream
- Adds moisture and softness, keeping the lean meat from drying out in the oven.
- Crackers
- Absorb liquid and add body, helping the loaf hold together and stay tender.
- Butter
- Adds richness and fat, contributing flavor and helping the surface brown while baking.
The step that matters
Baste while baking. Veal is very lean, so without added fat and moisture during the long bake the loaf can dry out and toughen. Regular basting with butter and water keeps the surface moist and encourages gentle browning.
“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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