Why it works: Nutmeg and pepper match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 7% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 13,015 recipes. Both carry 4'-methylacetophenone, which smells bitter almond. The science ↓
Stuffed Crabs or Lobster
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the shells
Boil crabs and pick out meat, carefully preserving the shell whole.
Rub the shell with salad oil.
Make the filling
Add to the meat one fourth as much fine bread crumbs, very little nutmeg, cayenne pepper, grated rind and juice of lemon, butter and a little sweet cream. (If lobster, rub the coral with the cream.)
Bake and serve
Replace the mixture in shells, dust lightly with bread crumbs, and butter and brown in oven.
Garnish with parsley and lemon.
Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)
What these numbers assume: 3 portions
| Ingredient | Portion assumed | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Nutmeg | 1 tsp ground (2.2g) | 12 |
| Cayenne | 1 tsp (1.8g) | 6 |
| Black Pepper | 1 tsp ground (2.3g) | 6 |
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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Nutmeg + peppertop 7% of all pairsSmell alikestrongCooked together13,015 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
- Bread crumbs (in the method)
- Absorb moisture and give the filling body so it holds together in the shell.
- Butter (in the method)
- Adds richness and moisture, and helps the topping brown in the oven.
- Sweet cream (in the method)
- Adds moisture and softness to the filling.
- Lemon (in the method)
- Adds acidity and bright aroma that balance the rich seafood.
The step that matters
Replace the mixture in shells, dust lightly with bread crumbs, and butter and brown in oven.. Browning depends on the surface drying and the butter and crumbs caramelizing; too much moisture in the filling keeps the top pale and soft.
“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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